Janice Urnstein Weissman (born 1944,

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...

) is an American figurative painter. Weissman started her artistic career as a classical

painter Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ai ...

utilizing

Impressionistic Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...

techniques. She has evolved since the 1960s into a style of

Realism Realism, Realistic, or Realists may refer to: In the arts *Realism (arts), the general attempt to depict subjects truthfully in different forms of the arts Arts movements related to realism include: *Classical Realism *Literary realism, a move ...

. For the past eleven years, she has been exploring

tattoo A tattoo is a form of body modification made by inserting tattoo ink, dyes, and/or pigments, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin to form a design. Tattoo artists create these designs using several Process of tatt ...

sub-cultures for the purpose of documenting the phenomenon she refers to as “Living Canvases."

Early life and education

Weissman grew up in

after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Her education was directed toward the achievement of a BFA Degree from the

Kansas City Art Institute The Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI) is a private art school in Kansas City, Missouri. The college was founded in 1885 and is an accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design and Higher Learning Commission. It has approxi ...

and an MFA degree from the

University of Cincinnati The University of Cincinnati (UC or Cincinnati) is a public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1819 as Cincinnati College, it is the oldest institution of higher education in Cincinnati and has an annual enrollment of over 44,00 ...

. She was selected from her undergraduate class to receive a scholarship to the

Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture The Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture is an artists residency located in Madison, Maine, just outside of Skowhegan. Every year, the program accepts online applications from emerging artists from November through January, and selects 65 t ...

and the University of Cincinnati graduate program.

Living canvases

After creating paintings of doll parts and working in body wrapping, a technique that involves creating molds of the subjects and mummifying them, Weissman began focusing on tattoos. She documented tattoo culture in her paintings, “The Tattoo Series,” which is a collection of highly detailed depictions of people with intricate tattoos. As the collection progressed, her work has transformed from tight, closely cropped torsos, to full bodies and models posed with ornamental kimono or juxtaposed with earthly elements. Weissman chooses models that have a theme on their body, she is interested in body art that is not purely aesthetic, tattoos that have a goal or a meaning. It is important to Weissman that the tattoo is not just a piece here or there, she likes tattoos that have something to say. It’s not usually difficult for Weissman to find models; mostly her subjects consist of mostly people she meets at body art conventions and in similar environments. While usually reluctant at first, after viewing some of previous works, subjects are convinced they will not be commercialized and agree to model for her. In addition, some subjects have contacted her about having her paint their tattoos. She starts her painting process by taking photos of her models and their tattoos alongside her photographers Jack Anderson and Shaun Alexander, the renowned fashion photographer. After a photo session, Weissman projects the photo onto her canvas and begins drawing the figure and all its details. She color codes each change in color, making the canvas look a little like the world's most complex color-by-numbers diagram. Then, section by section, she paints and glazes her work. Start to finish, one of her paintings takes about six months to complete.

Style

Weissman’s style can be described as detail-oriented. It is important to her to fully include the intricate aesthetics of each pattern and to represent the jewel-like quality of the color, noticing subtle differences in hue and brightness. She considers herself a colorist; like Vermeer and Chardin, whose art exemplifies chiaroscuro, the light and dark enveloping the figures, and the fleshy, beautiful skin tones of Rubens. Besides the tattoos, the human form is likewise important. Since the tattoos are lying on the body, the three-dimensional form of the figure is very important in Weissman’s work. Additionally, she gives particular attention to how the light envelopes her figures.

Exhibitions and collections

Ms. Weissman has mounted solo exhibitions with Estelle Malka,

Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

; Galerie Furstenberg,

Paris, France Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

; and Riverdale Art Museum, Riverside, CA among others. Her work is held in the permanent collections of the

Arnot Art Museum Arnot Art Museum, opened 1913, is a municipal art museum located at 235 Lake Street in Elmira, New York. Its permanent collection includes 17th-, 18th-, and 19th-century European paintings; and 19th- and 20th-century American art. Its 21st-century ...

Elmira, NY Elmira () is a city and the county seat of Chemung County, New York, United States. It is the principal city of the Elmira, New York, metropolitan statistical area, which encompasses Chemung County. The population was 26,523 at the 2020 cen ...

;

Museum of the American West The Autry Museum of the American West is a museum in Los Angeles, California, dedicated to exploring an inclusive history of the American West. Founded in 1988, the museum presents a wide range of exhibitions and public programs, including l ...

, Los Angeles, CA; Hallmark Crown Center, Kansas City, MO; as well as

Habimah Theatre The Habima Theatre ( he, תיאטרון הבימה ''Te'atron HaBima'', lit. "The Stage Theatre") is the national theatre of Israel and one of the first Hebrew language theatres. It is located in Habima Square in the center of Tel Aviv. History ...

Tel Aviv, Israel. Critical attention to her work has been received by ''

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...

, American Art Collector,

ArtNews ''ARTnews'' is an American visual-arts magazine, based in New York City. It covers art from ancient to contemporary times. ARTnews is the oldest and most widely distributed art magazine in the world. It has a readership of 180,000 in 124 countri ...

Art in America ''Art in America'' is an illustrated monthly, international magazine concentrating on the contemporary art world in the United States, including profiles of artists and genres, updates about art movements, show reviews and event schedules. It i ...

, ArtWeek'', and ''Los Angeles Magazine''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Urnstein Weissman, Janice 1944 births Living people Kansas City Art Institute alumni Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture alumni