Mary Morris Jackson
Not a Line Wasted
"Because the beauty of the human body is that it hasn't a single muscle which doesn't serve its purpose; that there's not a line wasted; that every detail of it fits one idea, the idea of a man and the life of a man." ~ Ayn Rand
Coming from a background heavily shaped by psychology, physiology, and major cultural shifts throughout my childhood, I have been inundated with the study of humanity for as long as I can remember. My early experiences fostered in me a deep fascination with the things our bodies say about us. As an artist, it followed naturally that I would process my thoughts by drawing people. Today, I use the human figure in my work to encourage an appreciation of our functions and capabilities. I seek to highlight features that speak to an underlying purpose within the body and unapologetically honor the imperfections as marks of adaptation.
My work explores the human body on a larger-than-life scale through themes of function, identity, and the body under stress. It features a triptych of six-foot-tall drawings in black and white, showing closely cropped portions of each figure melting into the surrounding shadows. The so-called ‘unlovely’ aspects of real bodies are embraced; celebrating the texture of cellulite, the value shift of stretch marks, and the unpredictable patterning of freckles and birthmarks. Skin is folded and stretched around the flex of each figure. These images find beauty in the veiled skeletal structure, musculature, and malleability of our skin. My work underscores the amazement I feel to exist as a human and enables viewers to connect to themselves and others a little more deeply. 
Thesis Committee Members:
- Professor Ming Ying Hong, Chair
- Professor Joseph Morzuch
- Professor Sophie Glenn
Mantle
Powdered white colored pencil on black wood panel, 48” x 72”, 2021, $3,600
A closely cropped image of a figure’s stomach surrounded by harsh shadows, featuring skin rolls and texture.
Vessel
Powdered white colored pencil on black wood panel, 48” x 72”, 2021, $3,600
A closely cropped image of a figure’s back and arm, hand on hip, surrounded by harsh shadows. Features skin texture and underlying muscle structures.
Frame
Powdered white colored pencil on black wood panel, 48” x 72”, 2021, $3,600
A closely cropped image of a figure’s collarbones defined by harsh shadows, featuring skin texture and the underlying skeletal structure.