Artwork of the Week: December 16
In Trifloria, Jeanne Leighton-Lundberg Clarke depicts an aerial view of a stylized dining room. A large table decorated with a bright yellow and blue paisley tablecloth is set with a variety of bowls and platters filled with fresh fruit, a pitcher with blue liquid, a potted plant, and floral arrangements. With so much to look at, it is easy to miss the presence of the three women around the table. In the lower left an older woman addresses a younger girl who looks up at her. Another woman sits in the upper-right of the painting, watching the interaction from across the table. Despite all that calls for their attention, the three generations of women are focused on each other.
This scene, rich with detail, is a hallmark of Clarke’s approach. She filled her canvases to the brim, embracing a multitude of vibrant colors and patterns as she created what she called “maximalist” paintings. In direct opposition to minimalism, Clarke's work captures the beauty found in life’s vibrant chaos. She sought to capture the lively, often cluttered and busy experience of being a woman, stating:
We are jugglers, trying to be mothers, career women, lovers, housekeepers, the overextended all-around handywoman. We pray that our humor holds up, and that time allows us some pleasure and some freedom to express ourselves. Minimalist art, or non-representational art consisting chiefly of geometric shapes and forms, certainly cannot symbolize a woman's experience.
Clarke’s philosophy is beautifully illustrated in her painting, where the fullness of life is portrayed with both complexity and careful order. The joyful execution of the flowers and fruit reflects the bliss of quiet connection between the three women.
With her maximalist approach, Clarke portrays an over-abundant domestic setting that highlights the overlapping roles often filled by matriarchs like the artist herself. While pandemonium may ensue as women juggle roles like decorator, nurturer, and provider (to name a few), there will always be vibrancy, beauty, and joy along the way
You can experience this work firsthand in the MOA’s newest exhibition- Crossing the Divide: American Art from the Permanent Collection.
