JANE GORDON
Board Vice President
ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO
Jane Gordon’s installation work is informed and inspired by speculative and science fiction, the current and urgent state of Earth’s ecosystems, and the artist’s life and employment experiences. Her studio practice is labor-intensive and often involves repetition: of movements, forms, and processes. This method encourages both intimate focus and a sense of calm, which are a welcome respite from the anxiety-ridden issues that currently face our planet. She enjoys exploring the qualities of raw materials, and experimenting with found materials and supplies as possible. Her work frequently explores natural forms that echo but do not mirror reality, as if imperfectly recalled from a distant time or place. The pieces thus pose questions examining the dualities of hope/futility, realism/idealism, and movement/stillness. These works react to each new site selected for them, and the installation process is a playful dialogue and an important part of the re-creation of each piece. Whether installed outdoors or in a gallery setting, it is the artist’s hope to create a joyous jolt of surprise at seeing something intriguing in an unexpected, anomalous, or underutilized space.
Jane also makes functional pottery, focusing on kitchenware and planters. This practice is grounding, satisfying, and provides a personal connection to her home state of Minnesota and the pottery traditions there. Her choice of forms, surfaces, and techniques also connect to her husband’s farming and their focus on sustainability and interconnection.
About Jane Gordon:
Jane completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts with a Ceramics emphasis in 2006 at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. She graduated from the University of New Mexico in 2013 with a Master of Fine Arts with Distinction; her graduate work focused on the Art & Ecology Area and included participation in the 2011 Land Arts of the American West program. She is currently an adjunct lecturer teaching ceramics at the University of New Mexico, as well as an artist assistant, administrative assistant, and farm worker. Each of these duties has resonances in her art practice, which is also multi-pronged, including sculptural installation and functional pottery. Jane is represented by Art Shape Mammoth, a non-profit that connects artists to new communities and supports the development of artistic practice, dialogue, education, and research through creative public exchange. She has shown her installation work locally and nationally.