Quick Draw Artist Interview #15: Kelly Lynn Jones
Quick Draw Artist Interviews is a series of interviews conducted by Otino Corsano using Facebook's IM Chat feature. Spontaneous conversations with international artists are recorded and documented specifically for publication on this blog.
Quick: instantaneous runaways. Remember the time I sat across from you and you told me your story of the horrific modelling job? Gasps at the manner you wrinkled and wore out their garb. Grown tired of the clothier's affected rituals. The reason I was silent - the exact same story happened to me. So nice to have a runway for our plane; just real and raw. Draw: art about art.
Kelly Lynn Jones is an artist/curator living in Oakland, CA. She recently received her MFA from the California College of the Arts in San Francisco. Her work has been shown across the US in various group and solo shows. Jones also runs the arts organization and publishing house, Little Paper Planes.
Clear Window
Today
Kelly
8:56pm
I’ve created more work since august not listed on my site yet;
a lot has happened since then.
Otino
8:57pm
I’m happy to talk about the freshly baked goodness now.
feel free to send me images.
Kelly
8:58pm
whoops
wrong link
Otino
8:59pm
I love your fashion sense Kelly.
Kelly
8:59pm
haha
that link was not meant for you
haha
Otino
8:59pm
Online shopping during an artist interview.
you wouldn’t be the first.
Kelly
8:59pm
haha
well an LPP print was featured on the site.
got to keep up with press.
anyways,
this is my most recent project…
“Re-Imagine|Rebuild” was a huge project I completed.
It was my first collaborative project working with other artists
The exhibition time was a total of 5 weeks
with 4 weeks of prep prior to each show.
Otino
9:01pm
Isn’t “Re-Imagine|Rebuild” is featured on your website?
Kelly
9:01pm
its not.
just the postcard is featured on the homepage.
well my MFA show is on my website…
Otino
9:02pm
Oh right! - I'm thinking of your MFA show:
“Build/Collapse/Re-build/Repeat”.
Kelly
9:02pm
yes,
I returned to thinking about my MFA exhibition
with this similar show.
the Sight School web link [above]
has all the early writing and documentation.
Otino
9:02pm
how did this second multiple-event show differ from your first experimental MFA installation?
Kelly
9:02pm
In the newer October show
I wanted to enter an empty space and see how it could constantly evolve during a 5-week interval.
I thought if I brought other artists into the space, it could be a different type of challenge
than when I just work alone.
Otino
9:03pm
Were there any parameters or controls?
Kelly
9:04pm
yes.
we only had a week to prepare for each show.
everything had to be done during the week.
There was an opening every Saturday.
Take down was on Sunday.
we had to come up with a solid concept,
write a press release and create an installation during each week.
Otino
9:05pm
sounds exhausting.
Kelly
9:05pm
oh god -
it was.
I was interested in seeing how my role shifted
from artist to curator
and how collaboration works -
especially within a specific time constraint.
Otino
9:06pm
Give me an example of one week's concept.
Kelly
9:07pm
week 2:
was the week I worked with Brandon Walls Olsen.
we talked about how many artists use certain rules to create a practice -
guidelines to follow -
even though they are often arbitrary.
so we decided to create an installation under specific rules.
Otino
9:09pm
Similar to the conceptual rules of LeWitt or Weiner?
Kelly
9:09pm
exactly.
Otino
9:09pm
gotcha.
Kelly
9:09pm
so we both followed a set of instructions
we equally created.
I started off.
I will give you an example…
First two instructions:
Kelly Lynn Jones: Create a repeated pattern with 4 shapes and the colors of gray, pink and orange. It should be no bigger than 24 inches.
Brandon Walls Olsen: using the entirety of the pattern and the whole of any support it was produced on, rearrange the project so it no longer has any pattern.
so we did this back and forth, side by side for the week
creating almost 40 instructions.
we had a sheet between us
so we had no idea what the other was making.
although we knew what the instructions were, we each had our own set of materials.
so essentially in the end, we created a very specific installation;
however the artworks appeared visually quite different.
we didn’t see the other's work till an hour before the opening.
Otino
9:11pm
Did you ever trade instructions
or did you exclusively work according to the rule you each separately wrote?
Kelly
9:11pm
I would write one
then he would write a rule
and we would work off our own instructions.
We were trying to create a structured installation.
we went to the library across the street.
made photo copies.
built sculptures.
painted.
we wanted to construct an installation within actual space
and see if it could work
when we only had half the control of what goes into the installation
does that make sense?
Otino
9:15pm
After the five intensive weeks of art making were completed, were you ready for a vacation from art making or did the experience inspire new ideas and propel you in new directions?
Kelly
9:16pm
Well, the very next week I had to prepare for another project.
Basically, I did not have the time to reflect on the new process yet.
I’m just now beginning to have the time to figure out my experiences of “Re-Imagine|Rebuild”.
Nevertheless, yes, I am super-inspired and excited now because of the work.
I really enjoyed working with other artists
and feeding off our joint creativity.
Otino
9:18pm
I considered starting this interview with a discussion on the space between your own visual art practice and the other art businesses you run.
Kelly
9:18pm
ah yes.
Otino
9:18pm
After this conversation about your latest work, however,
I imagine you will say it is all naturally unified in some way.
true?
Kelly
9:19pm
haha.
Yes.
I didn’t link the practices before
and wanted them to be separate entities.
Still, I have realized it is not the case.
Otino
9:19pm
After all, Little Paper Planes is one big collaborative venture...
Kelly
9:19pm
yes this is true.
In any case, I realized I love curating, programming,
and helping out other artists.
Otino
9:20pm
Yet your own work is quite distinct in form from your more art-Etsy project.
Kelly
9:20pm
Yes. They are distinct in that way.
Or at least I still attempt to make them distinct.
I don’t really have any of my own work on LPP -
maybe a few very old things.
I also do not really make much 2D work anymore.
Otino
9:22pm
Have you ever heard of Vincent Fecteau?
Kelly
9:22pm
Yes of course!
Love his sculptures,
Otino
9:22pm
How about Patrick Hill?
Kelly
9:22pm
Yes!
I like his work as well.
Otino
9:23pm
I mention them because I see the same type of aesthetic resonating in your work.
Kelly
9:23pm
I can see the parallels.
I think there exists a dialogue there.
Otino
9:23pm
or what I simply like to term: West Coast jive.
Kelly
9:23pm
hahah.
yeah.
Otino
9:24pm
So why have you adopted this sparse post-minimal style?
emphasis on material and fragility...
delicate balances.
Kelly
9:25pm
I suppose in simple terms, I am an interested in how things are temporary and eventually fall apart into something new.
I am not overly precious about anything.
It’s all just stuff.
I happen to have been thinking a lot about in general: stuff.
wanting things.
having things.
especially being on the internet 24/7, it’s all around you - these things.
Otino
9:27pm
à la Jason Rhoades?
Kelly
9:28pm
yeah sure.
Otino
9:28pm
LPP sure draws into this consumerist desire. I want almost everything on the site.
Kelly
9:28pm
awesome, buy stuff.
Otino
9:29pm
The interface is as slick as West Elm.
Kelly
9:29pm
haha West Elm.
yeah, I think my job on the internet has influenced my practice in a lot of ways.
I’m starting a new project
I haven’t really talked about to anyone quite yet.
Otino
9:29pm
Tell all...
Kelly
9:30pm
It’s directly related to all my obsessions regarding the internet
and all my wants
and how f***ed it all is, yet everything is so beautiful, so I want it all.
but I don’t need a bunch of s**t
so I have started making everything I want
slowly.
I don’t know if can really talk about it yet, since this is all new to me and I haven’t properly started writing about it at this point.
I am in the making stage.
Otino
9:32pm
Are you talking about a personalized version of svpply.com?
Kelly
9:32pm
HA
yes.
Otino
9:32pm
bingo.
Kelly
9:32pm
Svppy is my inspiration.
Otino
9:32pm
You should call it Kvlly.com
Kelly
9:32pm
done and done.
bought the domain.
Haha.
Otino
9:33pm
send me my 50%.
Kelly
9:33pm
oh fine.
I’ve always been interested in forms of mediation -
re-making things to look like the same things.
Otino
9:33pm
Can we talk about "Challenger"?
Kelly
9:33pm
oh yes, we can talk about it.
Otino
9:34pm
It seems this project emanated from a direct personal experience.
Kelly
9:34pm
it did.
Otino
9:34pm
In fact you watched the Challenger explode live at school along with many other people... correct?
Kelly
9:35pm
yes.
I was 8.
my mom was a school teacher at the time
so it was a big deal.
Otino
9:35pm
I'm curious what effect you were seeking to evoke in the viewer with this work presented now?
Kelly
9:36pm
I really wanted to capture the feeling of what those children felt.
I remember it being an exciting time: a moment of possibility/hope and just the idea of believing
and then all of it literally blew up in our faces
in front of children whom we try to protect from reality.
And then to further the personal connection,
2 weeks earlier my Dad had just passed away.
I always connect the two events.
This can give you some background into my philosophy on life:
things are not permanent, they will always fall apart and something new will happen.
Otino
9:38pm
Nice mantra/motto; May I adopt?
Kelly
9:39pm
of course
It is also what i wrote about in my MFA thesis.
From early on in my life, I’ve learned to appreciate how fragile life is.
I also grew up in California
where we are taught our house will fall down one day from the ‘Big One’.
hah.
all is temporary.
Otino
9:40pm
Your personal philosophy makes for great art theory and production too as you have showcased.
Kelly
9:41pm
yeah, I think it’s been helpful for my work
or for me to make work
or for me to just get through each day.
ha.
Otino
9:41pm
I also imagine you don't lose sleep considering the archival nature of your works in the hands of collectors?
Kelly
9:41pm
I don’t.
I mean it is what it is.
however,
I’m moving into photography
as a way to create a 2D image of a temporary moment.
just got a camera.
pretty excited.
a nice DSLR.
Otino
9:43pm
This makes sense since your documentation of all your past work is so much of its beauty and meaning.
Might as well progress directly to photography.
Kelly
9:44pm
yeah, it seems like a natural progression.
as well as with my new project:
kvlly.com
haha.
Otino
9:44pm
Can I create an artist’s tee for LPP?
Kelly
9:44pm
do it
Otino
9:44pm
It'll say:
"everybody loves sunshine".
Kelly
9:44pm
haha.
i do love the sun.
posted by Otino Corsano at 10:08 PM
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Very useful Blog.............
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