Her Empty Vanity
Date2017
MediumAcrylic, mixed papers, canvas, panel, lace, and mirror with shells
Dimensions87 1/2 × 51 × 6 inches (222.3 × 129.5 × 15.2 cm)
Credit LineMuseum purchase with funds provided by Brenda and Larry Thompson and Jacqueline and Ken Sirlin.
Object number2022.25
Copyright© Suzanne Jackson.
The images and text contained on this page are owned by Telfair Museums or used by the Museum with permission from the owners. Unauthorized reproduction, transmission or display of these materials is prohibited with the exception of items deemed “fair use” as defined by U.S. and international copyright laws.Label TextHer Empty Vanity is a striking composition of structured papers, canvas, and lace, painted in warm hues of brown, red, purple, and gold. Referencing expectations surrounding femininity and appearance, Suzanne Jackson paints birds alongside a mysterious face and a mirror. As explored in Telfair Museums’ 2019 retrospective Suzanne Jackson: Five Decades, the Savannah-based artist has been investigating medium and process since she began exhibiting in the 1960s in Los Angeles. Her expansive career has encompassed her work as a painter, gallerist, educator, dancer, and set designer. Her Empty Vanity illuminates Jackson’s exploration of what has been called “environmental abstraction,” in which her paintings became more abstract and three-dimensional, developing physical layers, warped surfaces, and projecting forms that incorporate materials from her home, studio, or garden. This work immediately predates her current exploration into pure acrylic, double-sided paintings, in which abstract color, light, and gesture are suspended in space in such a way as to mirror the human form.
