UVA’s Arthaus Gallery
43 N. Beacon St., Allston, MA 02134
March 30 – May 11, 2024
Curated by Jessica Hernandez
Opening Reception: Saturday April 6th 3:00 – 5:30 pm RSVP
In this exhibit, Jillian Vaccaro uses sculpture, painting, and prints to explore familial histories, attachments to home and place, and the affective experiences that emerge from the processes of remembering.
Using personal souvenirs, preserved ecological matter, and household items, Vaccaro creates mixed media sculptures that demonstrate the labor that goes into maintaining memories – the processes of gathering, preserving, and piecing together. Whether it be dried flowers, lace, or old stoneware, Vaccaro incorporates objects that concretely reference family relationships. Yet, the handling of these materials also gestures toward the symbolic and emotional work that accompanies addressing the past – the gravity and weight of memory; the holes, fragments, and malleability of one’s recollection; and the openings and new vantage points that appear from (re)assembling a history.
In her 2D work, Vaccaro incorporates similar aesthetic motifs. Her paintings display thin, fibrous lines; richly-layered compositions; and floral tones that recall the dried flowers and ecological elements found in her sculptures. And like her mixed media works, Vaccaro’s prints embody fluid configurations that direct viewers around the surface – recreating the experience of navigating the complex topography that is one’s personal history. With many of her sculptures, paintings, and prints created during a similar period, Vaccaro’s works include much of the same gestures and interests, while reimagining certain techniques.
In Threading Memory, Jillian Vaccaro provides her own account of working through past and place, and in doing so, she illustrates that memory work is a visceral, tactile, and concrete matter.