Charleston-based artist Jessica Dunegan reinterprets patterns found in nature as mesmerizing mixed media paintings. Intended to illustrate “the connection between the microcosm and macrocosm of our universe,” these striking studies capture the awe-inspiring wonder of the natural world.
Reflecting life's diversity, Dunegan's series of paintings features a wide range of subjects. Quiet snow scenes, swirling seascapes, and night skies speckled with stars are just some of the motifs explored by the artist, who uses the imagery as a means to communicate a much-needed message: “The theme of my work is the association between care for the environment and ourselves as individuals,” she tells My Modern Met, “by demonstrating the relationship between forms found high in the cosmos, to structures beneath the ocean, and our own bodies.”
To convey the beauty of this interconnectedness, Dunegan has developed a distinctive aesthetic and unique artistic process. Using acrylics and solvents, she paints each picture in layers of epoxy resin poured onto aluminum. Sometimes, she leaves the pieces abstract; other times, she embellishes them with figurative subjects. In either case, each stunning scene of nature seeks to remind the viewer that “everything we do affects each other, our planet, and the universe.”
You can see more of these stunning pieces on Jessica Dunegan's website.