Winter 2020 - Silent Knocking
In Winter 2020, EPS gallery is proud to present two shows with art by Joell Jones. In the main gallery space, we exhibit works from Joell's Silent Knocking series. In the Anne Dizikes Annex we exhibit works from the Earth in Peril series.
Silent Knocking is based on Joell's new monograph, which covers seven sequential series created during 2016 and 2017. This small storybook informs the entire show. Visitors are invited to walk through the pages of the book. The artwork and the words are displayed on the gallery walls for visitors to experience as an installation. The book form makes possible the addition of previously hidden aspects of the creative process. It serves as a container for all dimensions of the experience: the inner narrative, the outer influences and the final product. This work expands Joell's exploration into the dialog between art and consciousness.
The narrative follows Joell's quest to pursue an image that appeared in her work uninvited. As the drama unfolded, Joell traced the image back to its origin, and then coaxed it into awareness to be explored. What Joell found was an opening that disrupted the surface of the artwork and exposed another realm that held the possibility of deeper meaning.
This installation offers visitors a view into the internal process of an artist, stimulating creative thinking and introspection. It shows a more complex multidimensional view of the creative process.
In the Anne Dizikes annex, Earth In Peril uses symbolic language to express Joell's deepest concerns regarding the future of humanity in the face of climate change. First Joell painted a layer of blue representing the purity of the Earth. The next layer surrounds the Earth with flames. The tea bowl is the container that holds the image of fire and earth. The babies represent the future and what humanity will be facing.
Joell was inspired by the work of Jeanne Jabbour, a fellow artist who began to express her political concerns through her work. Oakopolis Creativity Center was created as an online gallery devoted to creative activism.
Date of exhibition: January 7 – March 7, 2020
Opening Reception: Saturday, January 25th, 5:00–7:00 p.m.
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