A personal interview with Artist Jill Soukup

Saks Galleries Cherry Creek

is honored to present

Jill Soukup

"Horses and Other Thoughts"

opening reception

January 13, 2012

Jill Soukup "Brawl Bait" 30 x 30 oil

WHAT COLLECTORS, COLLEAGUES, AND STUDENTS SAY ABOUT JILL SOUKUP’S WORK

“I’ve followed Jill’s work for many years and I’ve always been impressed with the confidence and strength of her paint applications. Her latest works are even more unhesitating, bold, and expressive, and beautifully designed, taking on completely new territory. I’m eager to see what’s next!” — artist Daniel Sprick

The Interview

The following is an excerpt from a four part interview with Jill Soukup written by Rosemary Carstens exclusively for Saks Galleries Cherry Creek - Denver, Colorado. The series will cover Jill's thoughts on subject matter, style and color, process and motivation. We invite you to forward questions to us at info@saksgalleries.com or join our blog page.

JILL SOUKUP ON SUBJECT MATTER

Q: Jill, your main subject matter veers between industrial/architectural and animals. The two seem poles apart and yet you paint each with an especially sensitive understanding. What draws you to the two? Are there commonalities that run deeper than one might think at first glance?

A: I’ve been intrigued by mechanical and architectural materials since a college photography class led me to a local factory where I discovered how rich these sites are in natural design. I’m drawn to the repetition of basic forms—geometric shapes that echo one another—and the abstract patterns to be found in complex masses of metal pipes, wiring, and gears. There’s an unexpected artistry there. I find some of these same patterns echoed in my observations of animals in natural settings—combining them with the flowing, more organic shapes provides increased interest or emphasis.

Q: Among animals, you seem to favor horses. What is it about them that makes you want to paint them?

A: Like so many young girls, I was obsessed with horses. Although I didn’t own one, friends often invited me to ride theirs or hang out at their stables. I drew or sculpted them constantly. I’d even sculpt them in snow large enough to sit on, so I could pretend I was riding. Their graceful, gestural shapes contrast beautifully with the mathematical qualities of architecture—the triangles, squares, and rectangles of buildings—so there is a real synchronicity between my two main subject matters. Explorations with horse hair led to experiments with texture in architectural pieces. Intricate factory scenes inspire me to see those qualities in a grouping of horses—their multiple legs and bodies giving a complex structure and linear quality to an otherwise curved composition

Saks Galleries Cherry Creek 3019 East Second Avenue Denver, Colorado 80206

303.333.4144

www.saksgalleries.com

<< for more information on Jill Soukup use this quick link to Saks Galleries.

Look for the Exhibition page coming soon to view all of Jill's work on-line at Saks Galleries

Jill Soukup "Horses and Other Thoughts" January 13 - February 4, 2012

Demonstrations: January 14 and February 4, 2012 - 1:00 pm - 4:00pm

For more on Jill Soukup read the January 2012 issue of Western Art Collector Page 60