Jeremy Wolf

*Jeremy Wolf sitting near his London flat in Camden.*

Jeremy Wolf is an artist born and raised in New York, now living in London. He works across multiple media with a focus on painting in oils and acrylics.

If you are interested in Jeremy’s work please contact Trix Mendez at Outside the Zone Gallery (otzgallery@gmail.com)

Artist Statement

Much of my figurative work explores themes of identity, power dynamics, and relationships between persons and groups. Recent paintings continue to react to the seismic shifts in the current American political landscape, the subsequent effect on society in and outside of the United States, and the changing concept of what it means, and has meant, to be an American both at home and abroad. Recent paintings build on these themes and incorporate reactions to the ongoing coronavirus crisis and protests for social justice across the globe.

American moral authority (whether real or imagined) and influence has waned across the globe with the rise of neo-conservative and then alt-right views in the mainstream body politic. By blurring the lines between truth and falsehood, these actors have created a society of mutual distrust and suspicion. I try in my work to capture and reflect on the resultant layers of disappointment, fear, and exhaustion present in these times.

However, in dealing with such relentlessly negative topics I regularly find myself on the precipice of simultaneously beating a dead horse and screaming into the void. To avoid bludgeoning the viewer with more of what they see on cable news each day, I have sought to develop a visual language that makes these subjects more easily countenanced. In this way the audience can consider them over again and with a fresh perspective. Bright, candy colors stand in stark contrast to the weight of the scenes unfolding in the images. In some instances, vaguely suburban settings for these strange and disturbing happenings turn the post-war American Dream on its ear and make reference to my own somewhat idyllic childhood. Imagery cribbed from historical paintings reflect my interest in art history as well as drawing a line connecting the brutality of the old world and that of our own supposedly more enlightened, connected, and egalitarian age.

While I hope that all of these elements add up to something that is visually interesting and thought provoking for the audience, I don’t have all (or any) of the answers and thus attempt not to draw any obvious conclusions in my work. Today’s world is as confusing for me as it is for anyone else, and more than anything I think these pieces reflect that reality.

Biography

Jeremy Wolf is an artist living and working in London by way of New York City. Although he has always had an avid interest in drawing, by and large, he is untrained as a fine artist - he holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from New York University (2011). As a result, Jeremy processes aesthetic information in a way that is unique if also rough around the edges. However, it’s possible that the absence of a more narrowly focused art education has contributed to allow him to explore multitudes of different styles, media, and subject matter unhindered by convention and with a naive freedom. He has shown work in New York City and London and been featured in a number of online and print publications.