Curator’s Review. Issue #17: Jonna Pedersen

Jonna Pedersen “Fun Pops On a Stick”, 2010, acrylic on canvas, 11.8 x 9.4 in.

This work by Jonna Pedersen is called “Fun Pops On a Stick”. You might think that the artist is interested in pure products of pop life and commercial culture, but in fact, it looks like she is most attracted to the way that the words compose themselves in mundane situations. Some things in this piece are very obvious, an obvious metaphor, in this case its a fun pop. But other words seem to be coming out of it: ok, calmi, salmi. That looks like a brand name but it also infers to the roots of words calm, soul, love.

Jonna Pedersen “Licoriciii”, 2010, acrylic on canvas, 11.8 x 9.4 in.

Another piece is called “Licoriciii”. We have a package that looks like a checkerboard, it is a very simple cube shape and seems to be a carton of candies. And its simplicity has a drowsy visual quality, the checkered pattern hypnotizes you and makes you want to open that box and take a candy.

Jonna Pedersen “Portrait of a Caramel”, 2010, acrylic on canvas, 39.4 x 31.5 in.

One more work is called “Portrait of a Caramel”. Chocolate coated toffee lollipops. The artist is obviously compelled by candy, sweetness, innocence, and yet commercial packaging, intentionality. These are all very minute but visually stunning images with metaphors of nationalism, stars on a blue background, red and white colors. These colors come out of heraldry, they entertain and confuse us, they also make us want to buy this pack of caramel.

- David Gibson, the juror and curator for the New York Art Marathon