I attended the
final artist lecture of the semester in which Jennifer Lamontagne presented.
Jennifer Lamontagne is an alum of the art department at UNH, graduating two
years ago with a BFA focused on painting and drawing. Jennifer presented pieces
spanning from her time at UNH to her present day work. Her style and approach
seemed to have shifted quite a bit even in the short window between her
graduation and the present day.
Jennifers talk
focused mainly on her experiences post-grad, however she did touch upon her
creative process during her undergrad years. As an undergrad, her work was
mainly introspective, containing motifs and expressing her feelings and
experiences, in particular, with living as a type I diabetic. She received an undergraduate research grant
to study religious art. Beyond that, she showcased a few very large self portraits
on unstretched canvas, made with gesso and charcoal.
Her thoughts and
reactions and how her work and perspective changed when one of her professors
remarked that the women in her pieces appeared submissive was very interesting.
Art is very introspective, and when viewed from a more subjective standpoint a
lot of work can have different interpretations. Jennifer’s works evolution
following this highlight how helpful critiques or commentary can be.
The primary focus
of her lecture was on job hunting as a post-graduate. She strongly emphasized
that at her most successful opportunities, she wasn’t doing exactly what she
had envisioned herself doing, but rather adapting her skillset to the
unexpected. This is a great perspective on life and the workplace.
