“The fragility of life and our interdependence is very present for me”
Jaime Coffey
Artist Statement
My paintings are light studies. Light assists us in understanding landscapes, by experiencing the magnitude and direction in which it allows our vision to flow. As light moves it creates a dialogue between forms by defining them and their negative spaces. By concentrating on light as its own entity, I explore how it manipulates itself around objects and is distinguished through mood.
I often seek unfamiliar settings to explore new forms in unique lighting and climate. This invites a sense of play in organic silhouettes and shadows, where I work with nuances between tone, transparency and vibrancy.
The titles of my pieces reflect an investigation of inner work with ideas such as peace, capacity and victory, paralleling images that are gentle while others reflect an urgency. I have been exploring the resiliency of our planet’s natural land regeneration in the face of climate change. I practice slowing down and observing surroundings to reach a calming state of meditation, which I find restorative to conflicts. Such inner peace is not always passive, but rather, a strong force that transforms my inner world. Feeling that we all need nature and a responsibility to protect it, my aim is to raise curiosity with my paintings and encourage collective critical thinking in regards to environment.
About Jaime Coffey
Jaime Coffey is a Los Angeles based artist. Originally from Oregon, she attended the Pacific Northwest College of Art, earning her BFA in painting.
Prior to moving to California, Coffey developed a passion for travel and in her artwork, explored light studies, as landscapes in foreign places. She spent months traveling throughout Europe, Southeast Asia, South America and Madagascar, painting on sight and gathering subject matter for her future work.
Coffey’s past solo shows at TAG Gallery focused on images spanning Oregon to California, in both “California Series” and “Red Earth.” Working in egg tempera, a mixture of egg yolk, dry pigment and water, she continued her work in light studies, and introduced a subtle narrative between the landscape and wildlife. “Red Earth” brought a specific turning point for Coffey as she was able to voice through her artwork an environmental commentary on fire seasons and the effects of global warming.
Bateman’s newest paintings can be found in her series titled “Intentions,” in which she reflects back on her 2005 adventures in the Salar de Uyuni region of Bolivia. These paintings span from her original trip, alongside new pieces that represent her recent discoveries involving lithium mining. This work is an investigation of human impressions and choices that she depicts as visual paths through the landscape.