Artist Statement

I am delighted that “The Gown” was selected to be part of the Art Kiosk in Redwood City’s 2022 exhibition schedule. This piece is introspective. I made The Gown as a statement of feminine strength which is often fortified by adversity. I as a woman endure, no matter the battles I have been through, passionate and strong in my convictions. I embrace my femininity – it empowers me

The main component is a larger-than-life gown constructed from broken wine bottles. “The gown” is at the top of three red carpeted cantilevered platforms trimmed in gold. Its positioning and style are referential to Hollywood, past and present, whose starlets walk the red carpet in a display of accomplishment and prestige. The figure is ascending these steps in an effort to reach the top. The gown represents femininity, and the sharp jagged edges of the bottles reflect the fierceness and scars retained from the struggle. Women are often described as caring and nurturing but can also be formidable and intense.

I believe this piece is particularly relevant right now as multiple states and the Supreme Court are trying to scale back the rights of women. Historically speaking, women have always been repressed and taken for granted. We did not gain the right to vote until 1920, black women until 1963, and it wasn’t until Roe v Wade in 1973 that women were given the right to dictate what happens to their own bodies. We are in a critical period of time where women must stand strong and seek positions of power to ensure their hard-fought rights are not extinguished.

Women’s rights are human rights, and therefore everyone has a vested interest in this struggle. I hope the representation encapsulated in this artwork provides a message of strength and empowerment to all people seeking freedom and fairness.

About the Artist

Jennifer Cannon is a Bay area artist who earned her MFA from San Jose State University. She is best known for her outdoor public artwork of polished aluminum and brass which speak to our ability, or inability to exert control. Some of her permanent public work can be seen in Imperial Beach, California; Durango, Colorado; and Lampasas, Texas.

Cannon was inspired to become a sculptor when as a small child, she watched her father work on farm machinery, and was attracted to the ingenuity and grit of transforming raw materials into something imagined. She uses a combination of inventiveness, perseverance, and dedication to craftsmanship to create each uniquely fabricated artwork. These artistic qualities are also evident in Cannon’s gallery work, where she incorporates a wide range of materials to express themes of control on a more intimate scale.