Today we’d like to introduce you to Jacqueline Yvonne Tull

Jacqueline Yvonne, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?

I think I’ve identified as an artist for as long as I can remember, which I don’t think is the case for most artists (and certainly isn’t a requirement). I’m lucky that this was reinforced by my family, particularly my mother. Often I would get art supplies as birthday gifts, and my mother would sign me up for little art classes at our local community center. From there, she helped me apply to arts magnet middle and high schools, and then I eventually completed my undergraduate degree at the Pennsylvania College of Art & Design, and my master degree at the University of Delaware.

However, there are many things outside of my fine art training that have informed my practice and my identity, like the family heirlooms I grew up with that influenced my relationship with objects. Working jobs that physically challenged me and expanded my skill set have changed the work I make in the studio. For example, I honed my woodworking and finishing kills when I restored windows and doors in historic Philadelphia, which gave me a deeper connection to historic craft and architecture. I was a metal fabricator for a furniture and lighting designer, which helped me realize the possibilities of metal beyond traditionally male-dominated industrial applications. Being an instructor helps me articulate my ideas and pushes me to deepen my research. I learn new things from my students every semester.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?

While I am grateful for the incredible support system of my friends and family, it has certainly not been a smooth road. Being a traditionally educated artist has its benefits and drawbacks. When you are in school, it’s easy to get comfortable in making your teachers happy, and then there’s a point where you’re turned loose and you really have to figure out your identity as an artist and what your work is about. I greatly struggled at that time in my journey, because I think throughout my education there was a lot of emphasis on the technical strengths of making a good painting or drawing, and little discussion about how to get to the meat of a thing; to explore something genuinely with vulnerability and risk until a truth emerges from your body interacting with material. It can be terrifying to jump into that deep end when you have had a system that’s been working for you, but the reward is art that can reach through the veil of a person and reflect back to them something they didn’t know about themselves, or something they weren’t letting themselves feel. It’s art that can be savored like a good novel.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?

I am an interdisciplinary artist that creates site-specific installations, sculptures, and 2D works that explore themes of mortality and identity through the lens of personal narrative. Drawing from sentimental objects and ephemera, I use found materials such as wood, fabric, botanicals, jewelry, and metals to create art that confronts the senses of longing and grief that arise from loss, and our relationship with the impermanence of the human body.

My research centers around what I call the “material culture of sentiment.” I’m interested in what non-utilitarian objects do for people. I think there’s an assumption that objects that are not purely utilitarian (like a decorative figurine) are frivolous and unnecessary, and there is often guilt associated with keeping “too many” things. While I think it’s healthy to question our impulses and make sound choices in the things we collect, I think too often the assumption is made that these objects provide no “function” and therefore are not important. In my research I’ve uncovered many functions, from anchoring memories of a distant place or time, living beyond our bodies through the passing down of heirlooms, connecting ourselves to a larger narrative, to projecting and/or reflecting back aspects of our identity that go unseen otherwise. My role as an artist is to manipulate and combine materials that have both conscious and subconscious associations in order to create a physical experience that can be met with – and lived by – another person, who brings with them their own perspectives that inform the meanings they are able to reach from looking at the art.

We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?

I think a lot of people still separate “scientific” people from “artistic” people, when actually we have a lot in common. I find the fields of physics and biology incredibly fascinating, and unfortunately, in my younger years I fell into the trap of being identified as “right brained” and therefore didn’t apply myself in math, because I thought I would be inherently bad at it. In adulthood, I’ve found that when I apply myself I’m actually very interested in and good at math, but I have a lot of catching up to do.

Also since meeting my husband, I’ve developed an appreciation for sports I’ve never had before. I can enjoy a good baseball game and a beer, and I finally understand football.

Pricing:

• I have limited edition, archival prints ranging from $65 to $800
• My sculptures range from $900 to $3400
• My archival, framed ink drawings are $300

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jacquelineyvonne.com
• Instagram: @Jacqueline_yvonne_art

Image Credits

All photos taken by Jacqueline Yvonne Tull