Hello friends,
When I last sent out a note to you all I was feeling very inspired by the new year….. a whole sick month of January later <laysheaddown> and February feels like the energy I was looking for. SO with that being said…
I hope this newsletter finds you well and inspired as we navigate through the new year. Today, I wanted to share with you an exciting self-propelled practice I've taken on—a yearlong book practice inspired by a fellow artist and friend Kaylan Buteyn. In this practice, I am delving deep into writings near to even very farfetched from 4 pillars of my practice and have thought about 4 wide umbrellas with which I could gain some insight.
🏠 4 pillars of practice:
Sculpture: I have been drawing and painting the majority of my making years, too many to list, and even focused on painting for my Bachelor’s in 2002. With that said, I don’t know that much about sculpture. I never read much about it, I never paid much attention to it but I must say that every part of me recently feels drawn to making sculpture. So, time to learn! Biographies of sculptors, historical books here I come. Have a favorite? Send it my way, who should I know?
Metal/Woodworking: The big reasons I started moving to work with wood about 4ish years ago was for its rigidity, implied life, irregularity, and resilience. It is innately warm, loved, hearty, and can take a beating. Working with metal and wood offers opportunities to craft and shape materials with strength and durability and I now have an insatiable need to know all there is to know about ways to make with them. Currently, I weld on Wednesdays at Shopspace here in Raleigh, and feel so lucky to be in a community with people whose knowledge in these materials far outweighs mine.
Markmaking/Surface: As I feel the need to move away from painting, and maybe even color - I begin to ask myself - what am I interested in? It starts to become form and shape, quality of corners, shadow, and light. So, in question, where does markmaking lie? How can I play with the surface? There begins the journey into discovering what I can do and what I don’t want to do.
The Body: Investigating the human form and its complexities provides me with insights into the interconnectedness of mechanisms and processes of the body. Within this umbrella of the body, I want to think about the body as female, the body as a wound, the body in medicine, the spirit in the vessel, and everything that may intersect with these things. From three books I have already read this year, this feels deeply impactful and helps me to clarify my why for making.
📕 Focused on Medium, Message, Process: With these four foundational pillars in mind, I've curated a reading list that sustains, grows, and enriches my practice. Here are a few books I've already read this year:
"Shark Heart" by Emily Habeck: I felt this story was very symbolic of themes of disease and relationships, offering surprising insights that resonate with my exploration of the human experience.
"The Age of Wood: Our Most Useful Material and the Construction of Civilization" by Roland Ennos: A fascinating exploration of the history and significance of wood, offering valuable insights into materiality, humans, and civilization. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book.
"The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat: And Other Clinical Tales" by Oliver Sacks: Through a series of remarkable clinical tales, Sacks explores the complexities of the human mind and the nature of perception, offering unexpected connections to my creative practice. This book was a touch-and-go for me only really delving into a few chapters.
"The Empathy Exams" by Leslie Jamison: I am currently diving into this thought-provoking collection of essays, particularly resonating with the last chapter on feminine pain and its impact on identity which I skipped to read first. I mean, listen to this…
"These are the dangers of a wound: that the self will be subsumed by it ("personal vanishing point") or unable to see outside its grav- ity ("everything led to it"). The wound can sculpt selfhood in a way that limits identity rather than expanding it..."
The Empathy Exams. Leslie Jamison
In exploring these books, I've discovered surprising connections and insights that inform and inspire my creative work. I'd love to hear from you—what books have you been reading to inform your own work OR to take a break from it?
Looking forward to sharing a bit more as I go down the list this year.
Hope to see you out there soon: Upcoming exhibitions and openings.
Woven Strangers, Arts Access, Raleigh
Join me Friday, March 1st, for the @artsaccessnc Gallery Grand Opening in downtown Raleigh on the corner of S Blount and E Cabarrus. This lovely space is tucked in right between @artspacenc and @lump. In a match made - I will have some of the Woven Strangers collection on display in a space that serves so many.
This deeply meaningful work has helped me to embody these past 5 years and reflects a walk of chronic illness, disability, and organ transplant. Feels like a perfect marker to exhibit them here at this time.
Honored to have been curated into Material Encounters, an exhibition curated by @yemaja328 at @peel_gallery. Join us for the opening March 8, 6-9 pm.
Artists: Harriet Hoover, Celia Gray, and Jean Gray Mohs
@hlhoover @celia_gray @jg.fourdots
Closing: April 7, 2-5 pm with artist Q&A @ 4 pm
Find more information about Arts Access here and Material Encounters here.
Hope to see you out and about! And always feel welcome to stop by the studio at Artspace. Make a studio visit appointment here.
Jean Gray
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