Jane Maxwell

With what I believe to be the ultimate commentary on the jaded views society has of the female form, I present Jane Maxwell. A Mixed Media artist based in Boston, Janes work is my ultimate eye candy, rich with layers and subtleties. Like many of us, she enjoys scavenging through flea markets and has collected a great number of treasures which she incorporates into her work.

Her Doll Deconstruction/Label Series is effective and poignant. Her explanation and thought process is deeply intertwined with the majority of women today and their own body images.

"Paper doll cut-outs, with their perfect, thin bodies and boxes of form-fitting clothes, are used as the central icon in an examination of women and negative body image. The most recent work in this series utilizes vintage food labels that were found at an antique/flea market. Many layers of these labels are first built up on the canvas. Then, using a vintage paper doll as the template, I carve into the layers revealing the silhouette. The food imagery both surrounds and becomes the figure-—effectively dominating her psyche-confronting the ways in which body issues consume and overwhelm many women." -Jane Maxwell, excerpt from the artists statement for this series

Janes work can be seen at the Newton Open Studios May 20-21, 2006. She also will also be part of the "Serious Fun: Whimsical Art by Fine Artists" at Nave Gallery in Somerville, MA in June 2006.

(All images courtesy of Jane Maxwell)