Exhibition Information
Artist: Jane Weibel

Exhibition: Psycho Cycle

Media: Pieces of plastic, paper, photography 

Gallery: CSULB School of Art, Gatov East and West Gallery 

Website: Janeweibel.com

About the Artist

Jane Weibel is a 31 year old undergraduate who is going to graduate this semester from the School of Art Ceramics BFA Program. Jane is originally from San Diego and began at a junior college. She hopped major to major and wasn’t sure what she wanted to do exactly. Beginning with biology, then turning to massage therapy for a bit and finally deciding she wanted to be an art major. She was always interested in art but never thought she could make a career out of it until now. Jane’s hobbies lately are going to as many escape rooms as she can, she says she’s hooked!I found it very interesting and frankly honest that she told my classmates and I that it is very expensive to be an art major. How all the art shows put up have to be put together out of their own pockets. She makes most of her art work and shows with the left over financial aid she gets but also makes money by selling the ceramics she makes.Jane was a very warm and soft person and was easy to talk too, by the looks of her she would seem very shy but she is not at all. She is someone who has a lot to say and makes it very clear in her artwork.

Formal Analysis 

Jane Weibel’s work was very interesting, it was very spread out and consisted of many areas that didn’t necessarily seem related. There was a huge cage made of out of pieces of plastic put together by little plastic ties. Then there were man photographs with a type of rock and string connected around them. And finally a pile of shredded paper in the middle on the side of the wall. It wall all very colorful and nothing had plain color schemes. It all kind of seemed messy but I believe that was the point she was trying to get across.

Content Analysis 

Her entire show has to do with self identity and what you feel inside as a person. She made it to be universal to everyone and not just pertain to herself. She comes up with the idea but wants others to interpret their own person into the art work. She makes it very clear that she is a feminist and wants to break all kind of roles such as gender, identity, race and so on. 

Synthesis/ My Experience 

Jane told us that the plastic cage meant just feeling caged in depending on your own scenario. Like living in a culture where you feel caged in. Feeling trapped within in yourself or feeling caged because of stereotypes. Her pile of shredded paper could be multiple things she said, it could pertain to race, gender identity, sexuality, etc. The main piece that caught my attention was the big plastic cage. It was so big and colorful yet there was no way of getting inside. It made me think of how I am as a person, I can be so bright and bubbly yet I could never truly let someone in because of my own person issues. How there’s so much of me that feels trapped and there’s no way of letting it out. Her piece really made me connect with my inner self and made me realize how things don’t have to be that way at all.