Jana Buttner Austrian, b. 1997
When it comes to ideas, not just visible experience such as found in nature, but also listening and reading are important sources for her. Among other things that includes music and stories either written down or told by people she meets
In her work she feels that every person has a different experience viewing a piece of art; some experience visual pleasure, others see themselves , creating an instant connection with the piece. She strives to encompass all this in her work by working with the human figure and expressing herself through it in an artistic way.
When it comes to ideas, not just visible experience such as found in nature, but also listening and reading are important sources for her. Among other things that includes music and stories either written down or told by people she meets. These ideas stay in her mind at the beginning, some of them are laid aside and others eventually grow up to images and grow into something 3 demential, something touchable . A developmental that fascinates her.
Jana feels a deep connection with the material clay. It gives her the the opportunity to express herself with her bare hands. She likes simplifying certain parts of the sculpture experimenting with different textures and blending forms together. „It’s like reading a book, you don’t have to read every single word to understand it, it’s enough to read the first and the last letter and your brain knows what the word means“. She tries to attempt the same thing with her work through blending edges and unifying forms. The beauty of working from life is that the pose constantly changes as the model moves. Although this is challenging, it also lets her choose which moment she wishes to capture. This choice can range from vulnerable to powerful.
Her goal is it to provoke emotions and encourage empathy in the viewer. The viewer should be engaged by the work, so s/he can identify themselves within it. The three-dimensionality and the space that sculptures occupy can create a natural presence. This has the potential to allow for an emotional connection with the viewer. Figurative works in particular can speak to us precisely because we can recognize ourselves. That is why She likes to work with live models: each viewer can find themselves to a degree in her work.
