STEPHANIE JAFFE WERNER
ARTIST STATEMENT

On the creative process… I am creative in everything I do. In fact, I have always been creative. It didn’t just start at one point when I was a little girl. My earliest memories involve making things—drawing and molding and changing things to suit my every whim. In fact, when I was a small child, I glued the pieces of the game "Candy Land" to my basement walls.

Sometimes people ask me: “When did you become an artist?” I can honestly say that I came into the world this way.

On using mixed media… I have received formal training in many mediums, but, looking back, even my most “pure” pieces involve mixed media in ways ranging from subtle inclusions to the most overt and juxtaposed combinations of raw materials and commercial objects.

Most of my work is mixed media. It has become my chosen form because it truly represents the diversity with which I lead my life. My work is fun and easily accessible; whimsical and funny. Not all but many of my pieces contain or are about a fun play on words. And I work realistically, not abstract.

For the past several years I have developed a collection of mosaic works in a style called “Pique Assiette” which is a French term meaning stolen from plates. These plates are not really stolen, but merely rescued from the dusty shelves of thrift shops, flea markets, and other various haunts. These are the very places of inspiration.

I often frequent resale shops and markets. Old objects, furniture, decorative items—even broken pieces—are beautiful to me. I enjoy the hunt and the many places these forgotten objects lead me. I have become a collector as this process of collecting provides visual stimulation for my work and a seemingly endless recourse rich in color, pattern, and texture.

On creating public art… I believe that public art, when effectively commissioned, contributes to the visual esthetic of a building or landscape while allowing the commissioning community, artist, fabricators, and site users to collaborate in creating a work of beauty and permanence.

Public art is a powerful tool that should instill pride in the community and enhance the site for which it has specifically been designed. To me, these types of art projects are the most fulfilling. They focus on art as community process and the universal appeal, fit, and permanence of the finished piece.