Goodman Gallery is pleased to present A Horse With No Name, a solo exhibition of new paintings by Jessica Webster.This new series by Webster, several years in the making, represents an attempt by the artist to challenge the very foundations of her practice. To achieve this, Webster adopted a practical approach that began with rethinking one of the most essential materials used in her practice: the canvas.
Using jute fabric instead of typical cotton, Webster set the first of several framing principles for this body of work. The next step was finding a medium that could sufficiently transfer itself onto the unforgiving jute surface. Using a cold wax substrate mixed with paint, Webster was able to achieve the desired effect of setting up the conditions for a new process.
Webster describes the motivation behind this as a “desire to challenge contemporary painting and to drag it down.” Explaining further, the artist points to the trend of paintings that “move toward showcasing the transcendence of various experiences”. Instead, Webster wanted to create work that references this style of painting while concurrently challenging the viewer to move beyond what might be typified as beautiful. Or in the artist’s words, “anti-aesthetic”.