Jessica moritz
Shaped canvas
Breaking free from the constraints of the square, Jessica Moritz embarks on a bold exploration of form and movement through her shaped canvases. This pursuit of new shapes challenges traditional painting, reimagining it as something sculptural—three-dimensional works that emerge from walls like living, proteiform entities.
Without the limits of unnecessary backgrounds or flat surfaces, these works blur the boundaries between painting and sculpture, creating dynamic visual experiences. The vibrant colors and unexpected forms invite viewers to question what came first: the structure or the composition, the painting or the sculpture.
In each piece, Moritz captures a delicate balance between chaos and harmony, pushing the boundaries of artistic perception. These shaped canvases invite the eyes to wander, tracing the interplay of movement, form, and light in a constant state of discovery.
For inquiries, contact:
✉️ moritz.jessica@gmail.com
✉️ info@wertheimergallery.com
Sunset Bootleg
131 x 78 x 3
pigments and acrylic on canvas, reclaimed wood
2024
Topsy Turvy
pigments and acrylic on shaped canvas
84,5 x 60 x 7
2024
24/7 Genesis
pigments and acrylic on shaped canvas
230x117
2024
Silver edges
84,5 x 60 x 7
pigments and acrylic on shaped canvas
2024
Whisper between waves
100 X 100 X 10,5
pigments and acrylic on curved canvas
2024
Sweetwater roundabout
Once upon a time... every painting starts like this or maybe should.
Sometimes I am nostalgic about colors, or format should I say.
I always enjoyed Western movies. I need to be specific so that you can see the different dimensions it takes me to invite you.
So a little about cinema history, spaghetti western, most of these movies were using the technicolor process.
As an Abstract landscape, The painting is taking place in the west, you can hear a rolling hay, see a blinding light, and follow the movement around.
Sweetwater Roundabout
pigments and acrylic on canvas
140 X 144 X 6
2023
the island
Sometimes, the vision of elsewhere can become a shape.
Over the last few years, my paintings investigated different relations with shapes, space, colors, and socio-politics events.
We all have experienced a shift during or after the pandemic, realizing that life holds on a string and that humanity can be disappointing.
In that context, I wanted to paint an idea of relief where the balance between order and chaos would fit and remain.
Stillness was on my mind while I started this Painting, therefore, I knew I would have to build the shape and that a regular canvas would flatten the idea.
Between sculpture and painting, I found a compromise. Shapes always come first, and then I complete them by painting.
shaped canvas
170 X 120 X 6
pigments, acrylic on canvas, MDF, and wood.
2023
Eyes wide shut
Eyes Wide Shut is a sculptural painting that uses a gradient of light blues to dark brown, composed of two wide-angled shapes facing each other. The forms are nearly identical, with one shape mirroring the other, creating a dialogue between symmetry and difference. This deliberate mirroring invites introspection and deep self-awareness, prompting the viewer to reflect on the duality of their own being—the outward self versus the hidden, inner self.
At its core, Eyes Wide Shut is a visual exploration of self-reflection and the ongoing journey of personal discovery. Much like the process of shadow work, this piece challenges us to confront the unseen parts of ourselves—the hidden emotions, the unspoken thoughts, and the aspects of our psyche we often choose to ignore. The mirrored shapes act as a metaphor for the inner dialogue, where the external world reflects our internal struggles and growth.
The subtle optical illusions that emerge through the gradient shapes encourage a moment of stillness, asking the viewer to pause and consider how perception itself evolves. As society becomes increasingly visual, we are bombarded with images that often lack deeper meaning. This painting seeks to disrupt that cycle, inviting a return to the physical experience of art. It reminds us that true perception requires presence—standing before the work, allowing it to challenge our view of the world and of ourselves.
Eyes Wide Shut goes beyond the visual—it engages the spirit. It asks us to question not only what we see, but how we see, and whether we are truly aware of what we are looking at. The work offers an invitation to cultivate mindfulness, to step into a space of conscious introspection where art becomes a tool for personal growth and spiritual awakening.
sculptural painting
90 X 120 X11
pigments, acrylic on canvas, MDF, and wood.
2023
Lightscape
geometric abstract
light exploration Painting
As I often say, you need to accept the darkness if you want to see the light. The observation of light, from a physics perspective and from a spiritual point of view.
About the rayleigh phenomenon, it was established that Blue is the shortest wave in the visible spectrum accessible to human perception and therefore the scattering would reflect and create the blues we know in the sky. The scattering of light off of the molecules of the air, and can be extended to scattering from particles up to about a tenth of the wavelength of the light. Wherever we are.
There is a lot to say about light (natural) that as a visual artist can understand and change the use of colors and the perspective of painting.
I built a shaped canvas by curving wood and upcycling some leftovers and I had to also buy some new pieces due to the scale of these pieces.
Circles are important in my work and led me to many compositions and new discoveries. Closed shapes can be perceived as a limitation. But, Let's see it from another perspective.
Let's say there is a dot, another, and another that you reunite with and create the line that drives you to the circle.
I really enjoy details and prefer to see space as a reunion of circumstances and light selection, as if a lighthouse was always around.
About symbolism and vision through that paintings, I layered different concepts and directions to get these paintings as a new direction in my work.
pigments, acrylic painting
reclaimed wood, found materials, wood, mdf
canvas
diameter 111 cm
side of 5,7cm
I started by compiling physics and physical aspects: the eye vision, the way we perceive its shape of it. from the shape of an eye to the conic perception of what we see. Especially nowadays, where we seek attention, familiar faces, image, and presence.
The circle is a universal symbol with extensive meaning. It represents the notions of totality, wholeness, original perfection, the Self, the infinite, eternity, timelessness, all cyclic movement, and the base of humanity.
In Sacred Geometry, it stands as the symbol of life, the first step to building energy (flower of life, mandala...)
We can also see them as the sun, the moon, and the earth and be more grounded and realize how small we are in this constellation.
A shape with no end, and no beginning, just unity.
Lately, I have tried my best to decompose each color, display their lightest shade, and evaluate proportions influences.
Sometimes giving equal space and surface, creating an optical illusion by using a gradient, color theory, and isometric grid.
Finally finding harmony between shapes and colors.
Distance, proportion, symmetry, and execution of colors create a unique reflection that allows the viewer to accept the painting as an experience and to focus on what they see, linking it to their own relationship with light and space.
We all have different perceptions and visualization. The way we all interact with light gives us (all) a singular experience, each time, over and over.
Between a moment of stillness and movement, Jessica Moritz's work captures the essence and translates it into Paintings, sculptures, and installations.
half spectrum
The observation of light is a daily practice in my work.
From physics to personal perception and appreciation, I try to explore a different point of view and translate each into a Painting.
This time I have extended the experience on a bigger scale and also built a shaped canvas to enhance the color properties.
The light and space's relation to a 2D object such as painting on a rectangular surface is interesting but often brings me back to a screen relation ( computer, phone, iPad) which has its limitation.
By building the canvas, creating an odd shape, a reunion of circles, closer to the physical perception, the actual vision we have.
As established by Newton, the visible light spectrum is the segment of the electromagnetic spectrum that the human eye can view. More simply, this range of wavelengths is called visible light. Typically, the human eye can detect wavelengths from 380 to 700 nanometers.
I chose to exclude half of the range, meaning mainly the red. Red has such a strong impact on the human vision that even a small amount can cancel the perception of other colors and therefore the space too.
the shape comes from the idea of multiplication of this half part of the spectrum as a twisted shape, originally coming from the conic vision that we all have.
Half spectrum, geometric escape, shaped canvas
120 X 120 X 6
2023
Colors or shapes?
Painting perspespective
Painting is usually a compromise between colors and shapes. Fit a rectangular canvas, compose inside, and manage rhythm within.
Nowadays, we are used to watching screens, relying on this rectangular perception of what there is to see. It doesn't always fit or translate as it should but this is the vision we are living in.
Pattern as Figure, Installation view, 2018, Israel.