Delights : Disparities–A spectrum of life lived in the meantime

Delights : Disparities–A spectrum of life lived in the meantime.

In February 2022 Jess Walters became a fellow at New City Arts Initiative and celebrated the opportunity to host their first solo public exhibition: Delights : Disparities–A Spectrum of life lived in the meantime.

“Disability and chronic illness often come with a “before” and “after” perspective of life lived through the lens of Disabled identity, and I intend to share my personal journey “throughout,” because what happens in the “meantime” is often most important: the getting from ‘there’ to ‘here.’ What do we do to remind ourselves that we are beautiful, valuable, and indispensable when the world deems our lives ugly? Our contribution less? Our loss acceptable? 

In my own “meantime,” between deep-breaths and breakdowns and “bad days,” I chose to make art; I chose to pose, and dance, and write, and film, and speak the truths I learn throughout these unprecedented transitions– my perspective perpetually challenged and irrevocably changed. “Delights: Disparities” is a conjunctive space bringing together different experiences with CKD, dialysis, and transplant as an invitation for us to explore how individual changes in perspective impact our collective understanding of health.”

Featured Exhibition Works

Dreams I Had While Dying

“Dreams I had While Dying”

14×17”

Framed pencil drawing by Jean Sampson

Model: Jess Walters

January 2018

56 Days of Dialysis

“56 Days of Dialysis”

16.5 x 40“

Log on Cardstock

2018

Terms We Can TRASH

“Terms we can TRASH”

Sculpture of paper and wire trash bin

February 2022

Give Me Liberty-A Self Portrait

“Give me liberty, A Self Portrait”

21×19”

Framed Colored pencil, Ink, Collage

March 2020

Big Top Wonder Circus

“Big Top Wonder Circus” (For Live Arts)

11x15in. 

Mixed media collage diorama

April 2021

Secrets Stitched Into My Skin

“Secrets stitched into our skin”

3.5×4”

Framed mixed media collage

February 2022

A Dissimulation of birds shouldering an exploding star

“A Dissimulation of birds shouldering an exploding star”

9×11”

Framed mixed media collage

October 2020

Your House of Cards Has Elephants in Every Room

“Your house of cards has elephants in every room”

8×13”

Mixed media collage

February 2022

Hope Chokes

“Hope Chokes”

10.5×8.5” 

Framed mixed media collage

October 2020

Riding poppy-eyed perceptions to the horizon of her own demise

“Riding poppy-eyed perceptions to the horizon of her own demise”

6’’ diameter wood round

Mixed media collage 

September 2020

Smoking Cyclical Icarian Dreams

Smoking Cyclical Icarian Dreams

6’’ diameter wood round

Mixed media collage 

August 2020

Posies

“Posies”

3-part Mixed media sculpture

June 2021

Don't Fade Away

“Don’t Fade Away”

13×13”

Framed embroidery on screen-printed sweatshirt

Design by Sam Gray

October 2021

Medusa is My Muse

“Medusa is my Muse”

4.5 in. diameter hoop embroidery on old clothes 

October 2020

Here Be Dragons

“Here be Dragons”

30×24 in. 

inkjet print on photo paper

May 2021

Life, Death, Life

“Life : Death : Life “

Arrangement of Six 5×5 in. inkjet prints on photo paper

June 2021

Gold Stays in Appalachia

“Gold Stays in Appalachia” (For DW)

9×11 in. 

Framed mixed media collage

January 2021

Gemini Sunflowers

“Gemini Sunflowers” (For Jenny)

6” wood round

Paper collage & wire sculpture

December 2021

Oh My Overgrowth

“Oh, my overgrowth!“ (For Hadley)

9×11 in. 

Framed mixed media collage

October 2020

In the Night Season My Reins Instruct Me

“In the night seasons my reins instruct me”

9.5×11.5 in. 

Framed mixed-media collage

May 2021

My Left Foot

“My Left Foot” (For JD)

12×10 in. 

Framed mixed media collage

September 2020

Narcissistic Enlightenment: A Collision

“Narcissistic Enlightenment: A Collision”

6×8.5 in. 

Framed mixed media collage

July 2021

Ascending

“Ascending” (For Cassie)

3.5x 3.5in. 

Framed mixed media collage

November 2021

While I Go Out Walking

“While I Go Out Walking”

Temporary mosaic of Forty 4×4 in. ceramic tiles affixed with digital photography, cork, and hemp twine.

February 2022

Exhibition photo credit Kori Price