Jessi Olarsch
Jessi Olarsch is a figurative painter based in NYC. In her work, memory, image, and desire combine in a purple dreamscape that tells an unfolding story of queerness. Her paintings consider the shifting boundaries of public and private life, the raw tenderness of queer friendship, and the complicated joy of coming into your own.
Collect Bean: What does growth mean to you?
Jessi Olarsch: I think about growth in a couple of ways:
Depth: deepening my understanding of topics of interest by engaging with other artists, writers, and friends curious about similar topics. Continuing to engage with subjects and techniques that are core to my practice. Making space to meditate on where I’ve been and where I want to go
Breadth: Creating space for experimentation and exploration to try new techniques, subjects, materials, etc., in a way that is additive to my overall practice
Engagement: getting out into the world! Going to friends (and strangers) shows, showing my work, participating in the community in as many ways as I can
Collect Bean: What is the kindest thing someone can tell you about your work?
Jessi Olarsch: At an art fair earlier this year, I had somebody tell me that one of my paintings made her question her sexuality…I think it’s probably going to be hard to top that one.
In all seriousness, though, at its core, my work is about feeling, and so if I can make somebody feel something (particularly love, nostalgia, intimacy), I’ve achieved what I set out to.
Collect Bean: What role does color play in your practice?
Jessi Olarsch: Color is a huge part of my practice. For the past ~10 years, I’ve been working in a very specific purple color palette.
A lot of my work explores memory, and I feel like purple has the unique ability to capture the tableau of intimacy, nostalgia, regret, love, joy, fear, and everything that comes along with navigating queer life.
Collect Bean: What does an ideal day in your studio look like?
Jessi Olarsch: I have a big mug of coffee (Dunkin dark roast, lactaid milk, one sweet and low packet), the space is bathed in soft natural light, I remembered to pack myself snacks, I recently vacuumed, I have a good Spotify discover weekly playlist (some weeks hit better than others) and/or a good audiobook on, and I have a solid 3 hours to paint uninterrupted before pausing for lunch/coffee/body doubling time with a friend
Collect Bean: If you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?
Jessi Olarsch: Go out and engage with the art world! See as much work as possible, talk to other artists, and cultivate a life with art at its center.
And a bonus: make as much as you can as often as you can! They say practice makes perfect for a reason - continuing to experiment and refine your technique and interests as time goes by will only make you a stronger artist.
