Jindřiška Jonešová↓

About the work

A different viewpoint

My work deals with the relationship between civilization and nature. In this particular series I depict the shapes of wood, branches, which by being removed from their natural environment are transformed into independent aesthetic objects. I have built on previous works where I have depicted branches in terrariums. On them and between them, the animals we came to observe hide, blending into the wood, using their camouflage. But the branches are interesting in themselves. Their shapes, colors and textures can form diverse contexts or evoke something else. They are therefore things to which we can devote our aesthetic interest and attention.

By depicting branches in an artificial space, often only suggested through the shadows they cast, I make the shapes and structures stand out, which we can observe in a concentrated way. They can now evoke other bizarre shapes, from octopuses to snakes, wavy lines, straight lines, etc. These shapes are highlighted by manipulation and anyone can see anything in them, much like the clouds in the sky. By exploring and immersing oneself in observation, their apparent banality is shown from a different perspective.

I have chosen mostly linocut as my technique, which suits me with its approach which is different from painting or drawing. It can be used to achieve fine details, but retains a distinctive character that I would have found difficult to achieve with other techniques. I am interested in working with detail, and in large format, things that otherwise remain hidden can come out through it. I find engraving linocuts, especially in this large format, to be a calming, although slow and painstaking work. Printing them again creates a tension about how a particular print will turn out.

The focus on nature probably stems from my move from the country to a big city. I have now realized how much I miss the countryside. Landscape in the city is different, you cannot compare a forest with a park. I depict it in various forms and details, and thus I can surround myself with it all the time.

The clash between civilization and nature is depicted in this series mainly in looking at a natural object with new eyes. My intention is to arouse the viewer‘s interest or, on the contrary, disillusionment, even if just momentarily. A reflection while looking at an image. „Why is this depicted? What makes it interesting?“ Interest in a natural object (formerly a living tree, now an object) that we often pass by unnoticed. A second look may reveal things we failed to see the first time.