Ackland MFA series artist uses everyday materials for pieces

When everyday objects are thrown away, they just might end up in the hands of an artist.

Jessica Dupuis, whose work is on display as part of a series by the master’s of fine arts students, created her artwork with discarded materials.

The exhibition, titled “New Currents in Contemporary Art,” will be on display until May 23.

“I see my sculptures as journals,” Dupuis said.

Raised in Chapel Hill, Dupuis enjoyed the experience of working with materials with her hands at a young age.

“I used to draw on the wall in my house,” Dupuis said. “I relish the idea that I’m covered with what I’m making.”

Dupuis received her undergraduate degree at Alfred University in New York before returning to her hometown for graduate school. In her graduate experience, she has discovered the use of everyday objects to convey her ideas.

Her current piece on display is a combination of clay slip, a mixture of clay and water, and newspaper using cardboard boxes as a mold.

“I think there’s a lot said with such minimal form,” assistant studio art professor Mario Marzan said. “The whole exhibition is very meditative to me.”

Marzan also said the work invoked certain simple structures such as the home.

“We live in boxes, we show art in boxes,” Marzan said.

Dupuis said she tries to use empty space to make her point.

“The space invokes a certain memory,” she said.

Dupuis said her inspiration comes from a variety of sources, ranging from poetry, books and images of where she has traveled. She has also said that her family and adviser, ceramics professor Yun-Dong Nam, have also been her inspirations.

“My advisor pushes me and helps me focus on a direction,” Dupuis said.

Nam was also enthusiastic about the piece, believing everyone can gain something from viewing it.

“The quality of work has something we all can share,” Nam said. “She doesn’t explain what the box is about, but it is great to explore in your own way.”

Dupuis described her process, explaining a transcendental method of creating artwork.

“I just have to go and work,” Dupuis said. “I just have to let my body kind of take over in mental and physical interaction. If I keep working, my ideas come.”

The piece is “a focus on the cardboard box as an object” that Dupuis believes will invoke a loose interpretation among those viewing. The differing interpretations would be a result of the use of the dainty materials, newspaper and clay slip, in the shape of the cardboard mold.

“Some might view them as delicate and fragile, while others might think that it is sturdy and strong,” Dupuis said.

She also said that architectural structures within her work are open for people to explore and attach their own meaning to.

Dupuis wants visitors to leave linking her work to everyday life, as she put everyday life into her piece.

“Art and life are connected, they are not separate,” she said.

Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.