Jamie Kovach is an Austin, Texas based artist who works across a variety of media, including painting, photography, video, and sculpture. Her playful and sweetly subversive work is both a self-conscious indulgence in sentiment and a tongue-in-cheek critique of this excess. Born in Washington, D.C., she has spent the last 15 years in the South and Southwest. Kovach holds an MFA from the University of New Mexico and a BFA in photography from the Savannah College of Art and Design. Kovach’s work has been exhibited nationally at numerous galleries, museums, and institutions, including Arizona State University, the Tamarind Institute, the University of North Georgia, and the University of New Mexico Art Museum.
Invasive Species
Kudzu, nicknamed “the vine that ate the south,” is a perennial vine native to Asia and a familiar sight to those living across the Southeastern United States. Originally planted to help prevent erosion during the dust bowl, this once “helpful” plant is now classified as a noxious weed by the Federal Government, as it quickly spreads and smothers the other plant life around it. Aside from the environmental implications of this invasive species, the draping of the vine across trees, shrubs, and structures creates eerie forms akin to the creatures we spot in the clouds or in the heaps of clothes in our darkened closets. By physically painting eyes onto these creatures, I am both calling attention to the sinister nature of the plant and making light of our inclination to anthropomorphize every form we see.
To view more of Jamie Kovach’s work please visit their website.