Jane Smith – portfolio

Contact the artist

https://www.janesmithmedia.co.uk/general
07957 216797
janehance@yahoo.co.uk

Exhibition information

Jane’s images continue the “collections” theme, in which the visual repetition of small, neatly arranged objects within a type box continues to fascinate her, representing bringing order to the chaos. Especially when we are used to seeing Lego mini figures strewn across the floor partially complete, the lined-up and ordered Legomen allow the viewer to really see the beauty in each object and the satisfying order, bringing peace and serenity.

 

In 2023, Jane has been working in a new medium and is now absorbed in collage. This has enabled her to develop the “Collections” idea and take it further, broadening subject matter, whilst developing the continued interests with both Collections and typeboxes. While enjoying sourcing and collating imagery from sources such as photography from life, vintage magazines or newspapers and eclectic new visuals from online sources, she integrates these into her unique collages.

 

Jane has created new collage images on the theme “Collections”, Winston’s World, Wonders of Woodstock, Vase of Versailles, Marvel of St Mary’s and now a new one called the Radiance of Radcliffe. These artworks are new ideas based on a collection of items discovered on multiple trips, noticing the recognisable and sometimes the unusual details of a place or building, to create detailed and eye-catching artworks.

 

The Wonders of Woodstock image won 2nd prize in the Oxon Museum Discovery Art Exhibition 2023 and is now on show in the Woodstock Oxon Museum, Coach house as part of a recent collaboration with the Museum. In 2024 Jane created a new collage for the “Art on Conflict” exhibition called “Fragments of the Fallen” which was on show in the Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum during the exhibition in 2024, the Museum now stock and sell limited edition prints and cards of the print.

Artist information

Jane @janesmithmedia (instagram) Jane Smith is a photographer and image maker who is passionate about “collections”, an interest running for more than 30 years. It started at University where she specialised in large format 5×4 studio photography, which ignited her fascination of meticulously arranging objects in front of the camera. She initially looked at contrasting objects of desire and then became inspired by collections and assembling props together to create interesting and beautiful compositions.

 

Jane’s areas of interest vary from collections of Lego minifigures to retro toys, tea cards and graphics on food packaging which was inspired by a lifelong love of Pop Art, in particular Andy Warhol, Peter Blake and Man Ray.

 

Jane is fascinated by the graphics on food packaging, the power of brands, and how they become part of people’s childhood memories and are so reminiscent of a time in history. These bring different emotions to different people even as they change over the years.