Jenny Jin
James Ruse Agricultural High School
A FLICKER OF WARMTH
Painting
Oil on canvas
In my body of work I examine how the hushed ambience of candlelight can transform a space of mysterious darkness into an intimate gathering of warmth, hope and connection. Against the dramatic darkness of the chiaroscuro lighting, the bright candle flame represents the shared spirit of humanity as each person gazes at its mesmerising glow. In the face of the ongoing socio-political upheavals across the world and the daunting uncertainty of the future, my intention is to convey the sense of a timeless refuge of warm familiarity, unity and self-reflection and inspire hope for a brighter world ahead.
My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Godfried Schalcken, Gerard Van Honthorst, Georges de La Tour, Joseph Wright ‘of Derby’, Gerrit Dou, Peter Paul Rubens, Caravaggio.
Marker's Commentary
A Flicker of Warmth is a near-photographic realist series of paintings. As a figurative study in the western tradition, each of the four panels feature family members shrouded in darkness but warmed by the single flame of a candle, their faces illuminated by the candlelight's glow. In homage to tradition, the artist has applied the aesthetic values of the Renaissance through tonal challenges and stark contrast, which build both atmosphere and a sense of theatricality. A consistent palette unites the paintings, with the yellow hues of the candle flare and the teenager’s t-shirt connecting across panels. Rich burnt sienna shifting to black adds gravitas. There is accomplishment in handling the fluidity of warm, earthy hues.
It is an arresting work, beautifully executed. Skin has been painted with controlled brushwork, and faces are framed with shadow. The mood is private but not detached. Subtleties of character emerge through the precise tonal control and the virtuosic handling of light. Each article of clothing has been painted with understanding and patience. While the figures have been rendered in an academic manner, there is an intense emotional investment in the images: the young boy deeply inquisitive, the women tender, and the teenager introspective and serious. Details are made to count. There is more than a dash of spirituality in the work, with the true subject being not so much the figures but rather the mystery of ‘enlightenment’. The closeness of family, the sense of wonder and intimacy, and evident love act as safeguards against the challenges our contemporary world throws at us. This series is both luminous and reverential.