2006 Artist Statement

Artist Statement Jay Van Buren
Born in Kansas 1971 Lives and works in NYC

The only thing that I care about now is that the paintings feel honest and direct. I eliminate anything that feels like I'm imitating myself. If you let a painting go where it wants to go, a painting can surprise you. That surprise is what makes everything seem worthwhile, its what makes the sky feel open. That you can do things you didn't know you could do, that you can find what you didn't know you needed. I used to believe that painting was unique in the way it can be surprising but now i think maybe any medium that one allows oneself to fall in love with could have that quality. But I don't think we can choose what medium we are able to fall in love with. For me its painting, and it always has been. Love is not rational and not controllable. I can tell myself that painting is just one medium among hundreds but no amount of reasoning can make it feel less special. To me this is the same as how one loves a stuffed animal. You know its just a piece of cloth with stuffing inside it, one among millions, and knowing that doesn't change how you feel about it. The animals are ones that are special to me the people i love.