Artist Bio
Elijah Jimenez is a California based musician and artist who works in various media including oil, watercolor, sculpture and collage. In 2020, Jimenez received a BA in Studio Art from California State University of Channel Islands. Creating works that often critique aspects of the self, religion, politics, and society — Jimenez confronts the terror and wonder that occupy his thoughts.
From birth, Jimenez grew up in the Evangelical Christian church, but would eventually abandon the belief entirely. Still, religion usually finds its way into the work Jimenez makes. Being an unabashed atheist is something the artist is still navigating, and he finds that his work helps him to do so. Jimenez utilizes many forms of media to process feelings of self reflection and social examination. Somethings are better said through a song than a painting; and others are more freely expressed through a sculpture rather than a drawing. With an array of mediums at his disposal, Jimenez seeks to find new ways of expressing himself.
My Only Sunshine, Statement
The mind is fleeting, and we know it, but try our best to avoid the thought. The memory serves as a tool,— a tool that wears as it toils. It is an impressive, yet fragile, feature of the human condition, and serves many purposes to one’s life. Memories have the ability to provide both joy and sorrow; a reflection of life’s dynamic moments.
Last year was a reminder that moments together with others is a shared longing. Furthermore, many events that unfolded during 2020 were heart-rending. Some of which will linger in our memories for most, if not all, of our lives. What do those memories do to us; how do they shape our perspective and affect our lives? This idea is largely what Jimenez urges the audience to confront.
Although the experience at Clearwater was interrupted by the pandemic, the one workshop alone had a lasting effect on Jimenez. It was a memory that will be cherished for long after this show. During the workshop, Jimenez and his colleagues had the opportunity to create original collages alongside the residents at Clearwater. Sifting through books and magazines – bombarded with text, objects, and patterns – the group reflected on the ability to recall specific memories through the images seen. Objects and materials can be reminders of times once were. The materials used in Jimenez’s piece hold particular memories that are personal to his life. Yet in the end they are not the memories themselves, they are merely things. Memories are only experienced. They live and die right in front of us, everyday. This degradation of memories, and the preservation of them through objects and materials was something that kept resurfacing for Jimenez, and helped guide his thoughts and process.
