Created as a response to the demands of modern motherhood, Jessica Burko’s newest exhibit “Quiet/Loud” captures figurative images in frenzied motion seeming to emerge out of a haze. The photographic mixed media series, which strives to make sense of the dichotomy between asserting an individual’s identity with the onslaught of responsibility to others, opens at ArtProv Gallery, a contemporary gallery located in the Jewelry District at 150 Chestnut Street, on November 15, 2017. An opening reception will be held during Gallery Night Providence on November 16 from 5-9 p.m. The show runs through January 13, 2018. Please check www.ArtProvGallery.com for weekly hours and special events.

The works in “Quiet/Loud” traverse emotional landscapes fueled by exhaustion and endless clamor. In this generation of becoming parents later in life, mothers are expected to maintain their professional status while also being the primary nurturer, chef, housekeeper, chauffer, bookkeeper, and event planner. Through self-portraiture, text, and line carved into the surface of encaustic on found wood, patterns emerge as reflections of mothers’ frenzied and relentless days. The imagery throughout “Quiet/Loud” is punctuated by disembodied toys presented as talisman and fairytale thoughts scrawled on walls. By incorporating handwriting and found materials into her work, Burko establishes a connection between home, mind, and body.

Burko has been exhibiting her work since 1985 in solo and group exhibitions throughout the U.S. She holds a BFA in Fine Art Photography from Rhode Island School of Design, and an MFA in Imaging Arts and Science from Rochester Institute of Technology. Originally from Philadelphia, Burko currently works from her studio in Boston’s South End.