Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 8

Jan Testori - Markman
Untitled MM8, silhouette, pattern, textile, icon, yellow, gold, pink

2019

About the Item

printed fabric, thread, sequins and ink ARTIST STATEMENT: ICONS I work on an intimate scale, creating delicate, hand-stitched images of imposing, dazzling, iconic women. They are depicted without faces or much detail, yet they invoke the shape of women we know, women we see every day, ourselves. Emotions and feelings can be read from the silhouetted angle of the shoulders, a tilt of the head, and the varieties of coiffure presented by the women depicted. Materiality is a meaningful aspect of my work. My choices of metallic fabrics, florals and stripes, gold and silver threads, sparkly sequins and textured trims represent constructed ideas about beauty, wealth, status and importance. I have taken the language and images of religious icons and extended them. As each viewer passes the silhouetted voids, he or she can fill in the icon’s identity and decide the meaning of the symbols. My inspiration was the Biblical character, Mary Magdalene. Defined by men, she embodied contradictions; sinner/saint, leader/disciple, penitent/proud, overlooked/honored. Despite where the inspiration came from, the icons I create can represent any one of us, as we are all many things at once, contradictions included, and have all been fairly and unfairly labeled. BIO TEXT Jan Testori-Markman is a NYC-based artist who enjoys experimenting with a variety of mediums, from rust to latex to sequins. Sewing, formerly known as “women’s work”, had a powerful impact on her during her childhood and she has continued to incorporate it into her artwork. In this series of female icons, women and how they present themselves, was her inspiration, as well as, who is celebrated and who is overlooked. “My goal is to catch a moment when the sitter reveals a unique aspect of themselves, and I build an image sparked by that glimpse”. The silhouettes are realized by layers of fabric, held together by a variety of threads and decorated with sequins, metallic trims and symbols, reminiscent of religious icon paintings. The more formal aspects of painting, such as color, form and line are addressed with scissors and sewing needles. With these pieces, she aims to stretch the standard conception of what can be considered a painting while celebrating women from all walks of life. Jan Testori-Markman received her BFA in apparel design at Massachusetts College of Art in Boston in 1987. After designing clothing and jewelry for many years she transitioned to making paintings in her home studio. Artist Biography Jan Testori-Markman is a NYC-based artist who enjoys experimenting with a variety of mediums, from rust to latex to sequins. Sewing, formerly known as “women’s work”, had a powerful impact on her during her childhood and she has continued to incorporate it into her artwork. In the icon series, Testori-Markman explores the ways in which women present themselves. She also examines how women can be either celebrated or overlooked in art and in life. “My goal is to catch a moment when the sitter reveals a unique aspect of themselves, and I build an image sparked by that glimpse”. The silhouettes are realized by layers of fabric, held together by a variety of threads and decorated with sequins, metallic trims and symbols, reminiscent of religious icon paintings. The more formal aspects of painting, such as color, form and line are addressed with scissors and sewing needles. With these pieces, she aims to stretch the standard conception of what can be considered a painting while celebrating women from all walks of life. Jan Testori-Markman received her BFA in apparel design at Massachusetts College of Art in Boston in 1987. After designing clothing and jewelry for many years she transitioned to making paintings in her home studio. Artist Statement I work on an intimate scale, creating delicate, hand-stitched images of imposing, dazzling, iconic women. They are depicted without faces or much detail, yet they invoke the shape of women we know, women we see every day, ourselves. Emotions and feelings can be read from the silhouetted angle of the shoulders, a tilt of the head, and the varieties of coiffure presented by the women depicted. Materiality is a meaningful aspect of my work. My choices of metallic fabrics, florals and stripes, gold and silver threads, sparkly sequins and textured trims represent constructed ideas about beauty, wealth, status and importance. I have taken the language and images of religious icons and extended them. As each viewer passes the silhouetted voids, he or she can fill in the icon’s identity and decide the meaning of the symbols. My inspiration was the Biblical character, Mary Magdalene. Defined by men, she embodied contradictions; sinner/saint, leader/disciple, penitent/proud, overlooked/honored. Despite where the inspiration came from, the icons I create can represent any one of us, as we are all many things at once, contradictions included, and have all been fairly and unfairly labeled. Exhibited in "Femme," Susan Eley Fine Art, New York, NY
  • Creator:
    Jan Testori - Markman (American)
  • Creation Year:
    2019
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 16 in (40.64 cm)Width: 10 in (25.4 cm)
  • Medium:
    Textile,Thread
  • Movement & Style:
    Contemporary
  • Period:
    2010-
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    New York, NY
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU16814117072
More From This SellerView All
  • Untitled MM7, gray, blue, patterned, textile, figure, silhouette, icon
    Located in New York, NY
    printed fabric, thread, sequins and ink ARTIST STATEMENT: ICONS I work on an intimate scale, creating delicate, hand-stitched images of imposing, dazzling, iconic women. They are ...
    Category

    2010s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures

    Materials

    Textile, Thread, Sequins

    Untitled MM7, gray, blue, patterned, textile, figure, silhouette, icon

    Jan Testori - Markman
    Untitled MM7, gray, blue, patterned, textile, figure, silhouette, icon, 2019

  • Untitled MM9, silhouette, pattern, textile, icon, gold, blue, red
    Located in New York, NY
    printed fabric, thread, sequins and ink ARTIST STATEMENT: ICONS I work on an intimate scale, creating delicate, hand-stitched images of imposing, dazzling, iconic women. They are ...
    Category

    2010s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures

    Materials

    Textile, Thread, Sequins

    Untitled MM9, silhouette, pattern, textile, icon, gold, blue, red

    Jan Testori - Markman
    Untitled MM9, silhouette, pattern, textile, icon, gold, blue, red, 2019

  • Untitled MM11, silhouette, pattern, textile, icon, purple, pink, gold
    Located in New York, NY
    printed fabric, thread, sequins and ink ARTIST STATEMENT: ICONS I work on an intimate scale, creating delicate, hand-stitched images of imposing, dazzling, iconic women. They are ...
    Category

    2010s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures

    Materials

    Textile, Thread, Sequins

    Untitled MM11, silhouette, pattern, textile, icon, purple, pink, gold

    Jan Testori - Markman
    Untitled MM11, silhouette, pattern, textile, icon, purple, pink, gold, 2019

  • Calling II
    By Lilian R. Engel
    Located in New York, NY
    Marble and wood
    Category

    21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Abstract Sculptures

    Materials

    Marble

    Calling II

    Lilian R. Engel
    Calling II, 2022

  • Origins
    By Lilian R. Engel
    Located in New York, NY
    Alabaster on steel 12 x 12 x 14 inches
    Category

    21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Abstract Sculptures

    Materials

    Alabaster, Steel

    Origins

    Lilian R. Engel
    Origins, 2016

  • Moment
    By Lilian R. Engel
    Located in New York, NY
    Marble
    Category

    21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Abstract Sculptures

    Materials

    Marble

    Moment

    Lilian R. Engel
    Moment, 2009

You May Also Like

Recently Viewed

View All