Jess von der Ahe
Encyclopedia
Jess von der Ahe is an American
contemporary art
ist living in New York
.
Von der Ahe received her BFA
from Art Center College of Design in California
in 1990 and since then has had 6 solo and 14 group exhibitions around the country. Collections of her work are owned by the Berkeley Art Museum and several private collectors, including John Waters (filmmaker)
. Her work consists mainly of menstrual blood and gold leaf coated in resin against a white background. Her works are generally abstract, though some are intended to call to mind subjects ranging from architecture
and cell structure to her own take on Picasso's Guernica
. As opposed to many of her contemporaries and predecessors, von der Ahe's use of menstrual blood is not political, and none of her work has ever referenced feminism
. The choice of medium is more related to the intense personal nature of blood, as well as its limitedness.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
contemporary art
Contemporary art
Contemporary art can be defined variously as art produced at this present point in time or art produced since World War II. The definition of the word contemporary would support the first view, but museums of contemporary art commonly define their collections as consisting of art produced...
ist living in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Von der Ahe received her BFA
Bachelor of Fine Arts
In the United States and Canada, the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, usually abbreviated BFA, is the standard undergraduate degree for students seeking a professional education in the visual or performing arts. In some countries such a degree is called a Bachelor of Creative Arts or BCA...
from Art Center College of Design in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in 1990 and since then has had 6 solo and 14 group exhibitions around the country. Collections of her work are owned by the Berkeley Art Museum and several private collectors, including John Waters (filmmaker)
John Waters (filmmaker)
John Samuel Waters, Jr. is an American filmmaker, actor, stand-up comedian, writer, journalist, visual artist, and art collector, who rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films...
. Her work consists mainly of menstrual blood and gold leaf coated in resin against a white background. Her works are generally abstract, though some are intended to call to mind subjects ranging from architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
and cell structure to her own take on Picasso's Guernica
Guernica (painting)
Guernica is a painting by Pablo Picasso. It was created in response to the bombing of Guernica, Basque Country, by German and Italian warplanes at the behest of the Spanish Nationalist forces, on 26 April 1937, during the Spanish Civil War...
. As opposed to many of her contemporaries and predecessors, von der Ahe's use of menstrual blood is not political, and none of her work has ever referenced feminism
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
. The choice of medium is more related to the intense personal nature of blood, as well as its limitedness.