JAKE WATLING

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STATEMENT

Enter/Exit
February 20 - March 29, 2009

"Enter Exit" investigates such themes as life, death, generational cycles, and rebirth from both the artist's personal perspective as well as through a broader, more universal context. Viewpoints from a variety of religious, cultural, socio-economic, and historical sources are explored and commented upon.

Inspired by the recent passing of his longtime faithful canine companion Watling pondered such questions as: What awaits us after death, are life and death part of a cycle of transformation and rebirth or opposites on a finite spectrum? What was he to think of the Heaven and Hell of his childhood teachings and how did his personal story and thoughts fit in with those of the wider world? From these questions, the seed for the series was born, and Watling delved into his work for answers (as well as even more questions) as part of his own grieving and artistic processes.

In composing his pieces, Watling calls on childhood memories, personal experiences, the city and streetscapes that surround him, the communities of which he is a part, and a diversity of beliefs and rituals throughout time and place. His work often features religious imagery, and this series, with its metaphysical topics of life and death, is no exception.

"Enter Exit" maintains Watling's usual approach of relying on a personal language of signs and symbols to convey his ideas, experiences, and queries. As in his past work, this personal code takes many forms, including: architecture, signage, people, animals, religious symbols, and more.

Watling also continues to rely on a graphic style (no doubt a reflection of his educational background in graphic design and his career as an art director) and bright color palette but uses darker, less whimsical hues in this current series, in keeping with the more solemn nature of his themes. Nevertheless, his trademark humor and wit remain on display. His focus on the urban environment also persists, albeit with an eye toward cultural signifiers from a variety of locales, time periods, and traditions. In short, in "Enter Exit" Watling brings his unique style to those universal topics that have kept mankind pondering since the dawn of time.

Watling has exhibited his artwork in Minneapolis, New York City, Oakland, San Francisco, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. He received his BFA from the College of Visual Arts in St. Paul, Minnesota and now lives in Berkeley, California with his wife.