40. Jill Letten - "Counterpart" - 12x12"

Pulling from the aesthetics of mid-century advertisements and imagery of the consumerist culture of these eras for visual inspiration, my body of work explores archival images from a heavily idealized period of economic growth. Drawing inspiration from these historical images, I paint figures from the past, often re-colourizing them to evoke a sense of familiarity and bridge the temporal gap. This process reflects the concept of 'anemoia,' a "nostalgic sense of longing for a past you yourself have never lived," playing into the concept of rose-tinted idealism. 

My goal is to create a space of reflection on how we perceive images and content from the past as passive viewers of it, whether that be with rosy retrospection or critique. Layering images of bygone eras, I aim to create complexity using color and form, situating pockets of abstraction within realistic representation to depict the chaos of consumerist culture masking over the harsh realities of life.
Embedding within the artwork critiques of modern society, rampant in its embrace of a throwaway culture, driven by industrialization and mass consumerism. Through layered visuals, I invite viewers to confront these parallels between past and present, urging them to scrutinize the romanticized narratives surrounding historical prosperity.