JELENA ANDŽIĆ

Muffled

2021

curated by Michael Lawton

Homesession

Barcelona

in collaboration with Louise Franklin Wiberg

When asked to imagine what kind of sound their paintings might have, both Jelena and Louise agreed that their paintings would have a “muffled” sound. Muffled as distinct from quiet, an important distinction as a muffled sound would be loud, were it not for some sort of obstruction: Something is interfering with us hearing the sound properly. I think it is this idea of interference that links their paintings, they want to pass an image onto us, the viewer, or maybe tell us a story. But first this image-story must pass through the filter that is painting. A filter that both subdues and distorts this image-story so when we encounter the painting, we see what is left; a memory of what was there, or a memory of a sensation of what was there; we can never be sure so we have to judge the painting on what is there, what is left, what we are looking at.

text by Michael Lawton

upper painting: Stop and Smell the Motor Oil, oil on linen, 35 x 27 cm, 2021

lower painting: Oh Maternal Ditch, Half Full of Muddy Water! (Underwater), oil on linen, 35 x 27 cm, 2021