JILLIAN BALLAS
Being deeply rooted in the natural landscapes around her, Jillian's artwork focuses on the complex relationships between humanity and nature. Through her work,she hopes to study and discover the threads that connect us to nearby ecosystems. Her practice has recently evolved to be inquisitive about the notion of wilderness, questioning the definitions and symbolic meanings we place on nearby ecosystems in Western culture. She does this by using her own perspectives and experiences as a starting point for reflection.
Getting inspiration from the environmental art movement as well as her own experience, she creates works that aim to provoke a dialogue about how we interact with landscapes and the impact we leave on the earth. Working primarily in oil paint and charcoal, Ballas chooses her mediums systematically, deciding on whatever technique will tell her story. No matter the medium, her work has an environmental edge that challenges mass culture and our attitudes toward the more-than-human world.
Recognition
Acrylic on canvas
Recognition is my personal exploration into the intelligence and consciousness of the more-than-human. In my work, I often ponder the realities of other species on this earth - wondering how they think, interact, and exist without an anthropocentric lens attached.
The Crow and the Octopus are both widely known for their intelligence. Both are problem-solvers, delight in mischief, and consistently defy human expectations. With all this said, in Western culture, we still don’t give animals like these the credit they are due, choosing to simplify how they live and experience the world.
With this painting, I dive into what it would be like if these two intelligent beings were to meet. Would they recognize and honor the lived existence of the other? By taking humans out of the narrative, I’m giving these other intelligent beings the space to be a witness to the other.
Remnants
Oil + wildfire charcoal on canvas
Along a forgotten road in the Wild Sky Wilderness stands the charred remains of an old growth evergreen tree. A sentinel sits in what was once a lush forest – a remnant of the past that serves as a reminder of the fragility of nature and a symbol of regrowth.
In 2021, the Bolt Creek fire tore through almost 15,000 acres of pristine wilderness in the North Cascades. Raging through beloved hiking trails, cabins, and mountain passes, it was a stark reminder that this vibrant landscape is vulnerable to climate change and human impact. What was once painted in a thousand shades of green, burned to black and white.
Almost 4 years later, many parts of this land are still scarred and barren. However, if you look closely, you will see the emergence of new life – moss on blackened bark, fireweed growing where there once were ferns, and seedlings growing from the earth.
‘Remnants’ is a portrait of this old evergreen that acts as a tangible memory of what once existed in the landscape, the harsh change that was thrust upon it, and a reminder of what could be here again.