Jennifer Hunter
Site #9
20 Circuit Street
Collages using photographs and text from magazines

Biography
Jennifer Hunter, 39, is an artist. She is also a professional organizer, a writer, and a Jewish NeoPagan. She has exhibited in West Medford Open Studios, the Medford Arts Festival, Arlington Open Studios, and the Arisia science-fiction convention. She lives in West Medford, Massachusetts, with her daughter, boyfriend, two housemates, a cat, and a dog. Information about her organizing company (“Find Your Floor”), her art, and her books can all be found at www.jenniferhunter.com.

Artist Statement
I began collaging by chance in early autumn of 2007, as part of a workshop set at a folding table in a field at a Pagan festival in Connecticut. I found that I had a talent for this type of art, and also that it fed my soul. I was hooked.

I like to employ mostly castoff materials in my work, as both an artistic challenge and an act of environmentalism. (The only non-reusable supplies I buy are adhesives, a little paint, plastic “gems,” and framing mats.) The images come from magazines, calendars, and old books. I page through these things to find images that call to me, with no specific use in mind. I tend to gravitate towards vivid colors, sensuous body shapes, nature, and strong graphic elements. I have recently started also collecting small bits of other materials, like old jewelry and metal washers.

Each piece grows organically. I start with one or two elements, and add more as I feel inspired. I try not to glue anything until it feels right, and sometimes I just put everything back and start over. I love seeing how each piece comes together, and then it’s fun to share it with other people, so they can be just as surprised and intrigued by the final result as I was!

It’s a little hard for me to say goodbye when a piece gets purchased, because each one is so unlike any other, and I get to know each one so well when it’s taking form. But I’m also glad to set them free into the world so I can keep making more.