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Jenik Cook
818-779-0311
jeniksart@msn.com
www.jeniksart.com
Jenik Cook (Simonian)’s work is slightly reminiscent of elements from some of the abstract expressionist masters like Miro, Gorky, Motherwell, Leger, Kandinsky and the great Picasso. However, her biomorphic shapes and lines, her bold use of color and the inclusion of symbolic elements combine into a distinctly innovative style that is her own. Incorporating pictorial shapes from ancient languages to the deep symbolism of modern movements, Jeniks paintings are made with confident and powerful brushstrokes. She does not fear the empty canvas or blank paper, launching into each new painting knowing that the act of creating is in itself as important as the finished work. Her taste for the primeval is evidenced by her remark: “First I create. I don't care if I ruin a piece of paper: it's just a piece of paper. But I need to create”
Jenik has painted all her life. All her work reflects a personal love for innovation and for creating new relationships. Bold, impulsive, full of confidence and conviction, the beauty in her paintings provokes a real emotional response. It is a celebration of color and form.
Inspired by Munch as a young artist, Jenik decided to put her own life story into visual form. Much of her work then, captures that story abstractly with a vibrancy and expression that thrusts itself into the viewer’s psyche. One is hypnotized by the sensitivity and seized by the power; there is a sense of unfettered passion, of energy, and of sponteneous driving creativity that pulsate from the works.
Linear loops and calligraphic-like marks are interspersed with geometric planes and random swirls, suggesting metaphysical musings on time and space and adventures in to hidden mysteries. The compositions show the grandeur of spaces and the graceful co-existence of the random with the designed. Through a prolific body of work she engages the viewer on all levels – philosophically, playfully, teasingly and through raw emotion, as she takes us on a journey through her story and exalts in the infinite possibilities where the artist can develop the art of creation.
Jenik Cook is also an accomplished sculptor and ceramicist. Her works have been shown in numerous galleries and exhibitions. Her works feature in many private collections and have attained status in art auction houses in the USA.
The following article is written by Michael Bolger, freelance arts writer, for the San Diego Community News Group covering the La Jolla Contemporary Museum of Art, La Jolla Playhouse & San Diego Music Center. Jenik Cook, a California resident has amassed a most impressive resume with shows spreading out from Scotland to New York, and many right here in the Southland. Cook’s work has often been compared to the great modernists of the past, Kandinsky and Motherwell. While perhaps a compliment, this also seems a disservice to her striking talent. 2009 (Dec12) Leonardo Da Vinci True Face Prize, Italy * None of the artworks may be copied or reproduced without the written permission of the Artist
Cook possesses something more than a painter following in the footsteps of others before. There is a supreme depth to her work that captures a newer sense of Modernism, something that is sadly missing from the current art scene. If any comparison is to be made, it should be to greats like that of Jackson Pollack, illustrated beautifully in her “Pure Energy #5.” The work, like Pollack’s, is a multiplex of colors in droplets and splashes, something that might appear frantic and unintentional from a distance, but upon closer inspection reveals a bold, controlled style.
Cook’s abstract portraits, very similar to another great, Pablo Picasso, are a testament to a natural gift of balancing Cubism and free form, perfectly captured in her “Inseparable #9” piece. Her shapes and lines infuse her paintings with a richly exotic symbolism of style. There is purpose and psychology to her work, conveying a sense of confidence from a broad spectrum of accumulated experience.
Cook’s distinction as a modern painter is in her grace and amplitude in creating works that are engaging and powerful. They make more than a mark – they make a statement, generating alluring and fascinating canvasses. This is more than apparent in her dramatic “Untitled #38.” Calder himself would have been most proud.
