Austrian-American artist Jane Mechner works in series, developing her painterly practice around recurring symbols and structures. Her current body of work centres on the carousel - a form that is both static and cyclical.
For Mechner, the carousel carries layered metaphorical meanings: it reflects the repetition of history and the resurfacing of political systems; its mass-produced horses and dazzling lights point to consumerist logic; and its kitsch appeal conceals darker truths. She plays with this tension, creating compositions that are alluring yet charged with unease. In some works, the fairgrounds are abandoned, overgrown, or snowed in - emblems of broken systems, faltering patriarchy and consumerism, and cycles in collapse.
In Austria, carousel horses traditionally bore names, a reminder for Mechner of how cultural nostalgia and economic instability can become fertile ground for nationalist ideologies. For the artist, the carousel is also personal. While living in Vienna, she was captivated by the carousels of the Prater amusement park - icons of beauty and cultural pride. But their history is layered: during the Second World War the park was occupied by Nazis, adorned with swastikas, then hastily repainted to erase the traces. This act of covering rather than confronting history echoes through her work as a symbol of how societies continue to mask uncomfortable truths.
Mechner’s carousel paintings are not nostalgic per se but confrontational. They hold together the appeal of childhood wonder and the anger of adult disillusionment. They address the cycles of history - whether in Austria, the United States, or elsewhere - that perpetuate inequality, authoritarianism, and repression, often under softened, more palatable guises. In Mechner’s hands, the carousel is not just an image of play, but a warning about the dangers of repetition, forgetting, and the seductive aesthetics of power.
Jane Mechner (b. 2000) is an Austrian-American artist currently based in the UK. She completed her MA in Painting at the Royal College of Art (2024–25), following a BFA in Art from the University of Reading and a painting studio year in Prague. Recent solo and group exhibitions include 'Slightly Underdressed' (Atelier Analog, Vienna) and 'The Discerning Eye' (Mall Galleries, London). Mechner has also held residencies, workshops and commissions across Europe, including an 8-week workshop in Gothenburg, a residency in Montpellier, and illustration work for publications such as Biosphäre News.
