Jarrid has been intrigued by animals and their complexity his entire life. As a child, Jarrid brought lizards to attend family dinners and watched Animal Planet consistently. Fascinated by our ecosystem and the major role animals play in the world, he detailed and kept meticulous notes about every animal that sparked his imagination. This allure with creatures and collections continues to inspire Jarrid as he attempts to keep the inner child alive through his illustration and sculptural works. His pieces are a true bridge between fantastical dreams and realism.
In 2013, Jarrid was introduced to the works of Max Ernst. He quickly became enthralled by Ernst’s Automatism process and after studying his works, Jarrid began integrating a similar technique of using liquid paint to form the base of his art. Detailed illustrations are then placed on top of the base in a variety of executions to achieve a dynamic and unique combination.
Jarrid conveys his idea of conservation through the use of his recycled and repurposed materials to emphasize visual storytelling. Many of his pieces encourage a dialog about the current state of our planet and focus on endangered species and their futures without the help of humanity. His sculptural execution of this idea began after receiving his first taxidermy deer many years ago as a gift. Tossed away, left in storage and covered in dust, it posed a curious question: how could a living animal that was once displayed as a trophy become a forgotten thing that was worthless to its owner? This out of sight, out of mind concept became a parallel to today's world views surrounding animal protection and the often-forgotten value that living creatures have to all of us.
Jarrid attempts to restore honor and enlightenment to these discarded and damaged animals through decorative brilliances such as crystals, jewels, and gold leafed casts to preserve the animal's true opulence and to reflect their worth in our world. Jarrid combines species together through the use of pattern as well as sculpture. His motivation to merge animals is to illustrate the idea of how connected animals are to one another and how we must see their collective importance and beauty as we are dependent on their unified survival.
The threat of what life would be like if humans do not place more value on our environment and if species extinction continues at a rapid rate has inspired Jarrid. He contemplates alternative living and the likelihood of residing in space in the future. Because of this fascination and his concerns for the preservation of species his works take form with an otherworldly perspective. His interstellar works are commentary on how different our lifestyles might be if our current planet fails us or if we fail it.
This is a first look into Jarrid’s perspective functioning as a Portal using material interpretations of dreams and acts of automatism to convey his viewpoints of the world and its possibilities. Through these works, he hopes to raise awareness of the importance of life on this planet and inspire others to view the world as full of magic and worthy of our attention and care.
