This episode we are thrilled to be joined by the artist Jessica Rankin.

Born in Sydney in 1971, Jessica is known for her vibrant and expansive exploration of the processes of memory, intuition, and interpretation. 

For the first part of her career, Jessica produced textile works that adopted methods historically identified with feminine pursuits—embroidery and needlework. She created works featuring 'mental maps' that combined word and image to highlight her ongoing project: a hybrid weaving of personal, fictional and historical voices.

In 2016, Jessica turned exclusively to painting, combining gestural abstraction with the sewn mark on raw canvas. These works often take their inspiration from the literature of marginalised voices: of women writers, gay writers or writers of colour. They have included lines of poetry by writers who have inspired Jessica’s work, such as Etel Adnan, Paul Celan, and Carl Phillips.

Throughout, Jessica has continued to adopt John Cage’s adage to ‘be unfamiliar to yourself,” creating a rich and compelling practice that spans multiple media.

Jessica has been the subject of numerous solo and group exhibitions including the Palazzo Grassi in Venice, the Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester, UK, and MoMA PS1 here in New York. Last year, she had a solo show at White Cube in Hong Kong.

Jessica is represented by White Cube.

https://www.whitecube.com/artists/jessica-rankin

Some artists and writers discussed in this episode:

• David Hammons
• Coco Fusco
• Martha Rosler
• Glenn Ligon
• Virginia Woolf
• Olivia Laing
• Julie Mehretu
• Lawrence Chua
• Paul Pfeiffer