Jennifer Guidi

To make these radiant works, Guidi uses an intricate technique, shaping them with a mix of oil and acrylic paint and sand—and rocks in some instances—to construct imagined landscapes from a careful orchestration of marks. To the linen canvas support she applies a base layer of sand permeated with paint. She then makes impressions into the still-wet surface with a wooden dowel, creating divots in repeated patterns that radiate out from the paintings’ central points like mandalas. Finally, she composes with pointillist dots and gradients of brilliant color to shape their dynamic topographies. A harmonious blend of tranquility and intensity, this body of work invites viewers to embark on a visual exploration of the artist’s emotional and spiritual landscape.

Mountains are a powerful symbol; grounded and reaching toward the celestial realm, they signify strength and resilience in the face of worldly forces. Guidi’s works evoke the rugged peaks that surround Los Angeles, where she lives and works. They resonate as well with the landscape of Provence in the South of France, where she recently presented a selection of paintings for Mountain Range, her 2023 exhibition at the Richard Rogers Gallery at Château La Coste in Le Puy-Sainte-Réparade. For these works, Guidi was inspired by the light and landscape unique to the region, along with the legacy of artists who worked there, notably Paul Cezanne, Vincent van Gogh, and Henri Matisse.

Jennifer Guidi: And so it is., the artist’s first solo museum exhibition in the United States, is on view at the Orange County Museum of Art, Costa Mesa, CA, from September 15, 2023, to February 18, 2024. Titled after an affirmative mantra, And so it is. surveys a decade of Guidi’s work, including paintings, drawings, and sculptures.