JENNIFER HAMILTON
Presence
Conceptually, Presence is an expression of abstract feeling. Its purpose is to communicate the importance of self-reflection, memory, and awareness of our personal perceptions. Perception also echoes in the nature of the work, it shifts between sculpture and photography with both 2D and 3D elements — blending light, color, and thread to make the abstract concrete.
Artist Bio
Jennifer Hamilton was born in the Central Valley and is currently based out of Santa Cruz, CA. Her enchantment with light has been a part of her as long as she can remember. "I am in love with the light,” she says, "I watch it, follow it, study it. I use it as a language.” Her art is also informed by her studies in cognitive science, discussing ways in which memories build upon our impressions of a place. She earned both her Cognitive Science and Studio Art degrees from UCSC.
She has been interviewed on KZSC’s radio show, Artists on Art. Exhibitions of her work have taken place at Sentinel Printers in Santa Cruz, as well as NextSpace, Mary Porter Sesnon Gallery, and Eduardo Carrillo Gallery. A multiple award winner, she has been selected as an Irwin Scholar, receiving both a grant and a spot in the highly publicized IRWIN 2017 Exhibition. Additional awards include project grants and recognition as a 21st Century DaVinci Scholar by UCSC.
For general inquiries, words of wisdom, or a friendly hello, she can be reached at hello@jenniferhamilton.co.
LINDA BENENATI
Linda Benenati studied art at San Jose State in the late 60’s, but ended up with a degree in English. After college, she pursued a career in graphics and writing in the tech industry. Consequently, she loves the interplay of images, words, and titles.
Over the years, she has worked in many different media: oil and acrylic painting, found object and papier mâché sculpture, and mixed media collage. A few years ago, she ventured into encaustic painting which just might be her all-time favorite medium with its vibrancy and versatility. She now considers herself almost exclusively an encaustic artist.
Among her favorite artists are Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Marc Chagall, Claude Monet, David Cornell, Wayne Thiebaud, Maira Kalman, Joan Brown and Inez Storer.
Linda has a passion for cats and small dogs, 1920’s and ’30’s collectibles, and anything French. Much of this influence is evident in her art. When she is not creating, she loves to scavenge through flea markets and second-hand shops. She resides in the South Bay with her husband—her fellow scavenger and sometimes art collaborator.
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First Friday Artist Reception
Stripe and Stripe Men
February 1, 2019
5–9pm
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