Alum Jennifer Guidi Discusses Art and Spirituality in the New York Times

A woman with long, brown hair sits on a stool in front of two large piece of artwork that hang side-by-side on a white wall. The woman is wearing a long-sleeve white button-up shirt and blue jeans. The artwork on the left is light-red but is made of many dots that are different colors. The artwork on the left shows a multicolored circular pattern that radiates from the center of the canvas out towards the canvas' edges.

Alum Jennifer Guidi. Image courtesy of the New York Times.

Alum Jennifer Guidi. Image courtesy of the New York Times.

Alum Jennifer Guidi (MFA 1998) discussed her newest solo show and the evolution of her practice in a feature written by the New York Times. Recently closing an exhibition at the Long Museum in China, her current show In the Heart of the Sun at the David Kordansky Gallery features paintings, works on paper, and sculptures that explore themes of meditation and method using light, color, and landscape. “They’re very much these meditations on the ambience and the atmosphere of our West Coast environs—where the sky meets the sea,” gallery owner David Kordansky told the Times

In addition, Guidi details how she uses her spirituality to fuel her practice. Guidi’s shift from representational painting to abstract painting reflects the development of her spiritual practice, which includes daily meditation, studying different chakra techniques, and a collection of crystals. Her recent artwork features radiating patterns made of paint and sand inspired by Moroccan carpets and Tibetan monks’ mandalas.

“It’s about the work,” Guidi told the Times, speaking of her time in her studio. “It's about enjoying this process, being in love with coming here every day, and trying to turn off everything else.”

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