Big Plans 

A solo exhibit of large scale paintings on fabric by Jackie Reeves

Duxbury Art Complex Museum, Duxbury Massachusetts 

May-July 2022

Art talk: June 11, 2:00

Statement

Two years ago I was scheduled to exhibit here with an entirely different set of paintings. During that time I became an American citizen and I was required to study the foundations and systems of government. I also took an oath to defend the constitution by agreeing to take up arms if necessary, against enemies, foreign and domestic. I came to the realization that my best “weapons” are my voice, my paintbrush, and the exercising of my freedom of expression, which is also the greatest American gift worth defending.

Drawing has been a love of mine since I was a child. It is a passion that undoubtedly came from having two architect parents who continuously supplied their children with drawing pencils and large rolls of paper. My parents' process of moving from sketches, to detailed renderings and scale models, to fully realized architecture has been a lifelong source of inspiration for me. To this day I continue to be fascinated by the magic of making marks on paper that bring ideas to life.

Plans in art and in life are constantly under revision. This show with its numerous hiccups and delays has exemplified that process. During this time, Americans have been engaged in a reckoning with their own history and there is the sobering realization that democracy is not assured. While looking closely at the architectural plans for the U.S./ Capitol, I asked myself - what ideas can I contribute to this ongoing construction project we call Democracy in America and what legacy are we passing on to our children and the nation? This show, my first as an American citizen, is the beginning of my answer.