Interview with painter-artist Jen Mann (J.M.) by Phil Anderson (P.A.)
Jen Mann in front of her painting, Your fate or mine, at Gallery 1313 in her solo show “Subconscious Vista”, September 7-18, 2011
P.A: You studied printmaking in art school making copper plate etchings. How did you make the transition to painting?
J.M: I think that transitioning from printmaking to painting was really natural for me. I went into printmaking at OCAD to learn something I couldn’t really learn outside of a school environment. My passion had always been in drawing and it translated nicely into printmaking, but when I was finished at OCAD I was ready to move on to something more immediate. Painting was a good fit for me, and it was really liberating. Printmaking is a very rigid process, and painting was such a breath of fresh air.
Torn Between Your Two Selves, from Chromatic Atrophy series, 2012, oil on canvas, 48 x 48 inches (detail)
P.A: Your current body of work “Gathering of the Psyche” you say was inspired by the Celtic rune stone, Oden Stone or blank stone which stands for limitless possibilities and at the same time embodies nothingness. Can you explain how this works with your new series of?
J.M: My mom had these really beautiful rune stones when I was growing up, and I loved the mystical qualities of them. The blank stone was my favourite, both ominous and auspicious. And I think that this can be a summation of most everything. I have recently been looking at life as this both everything and nothing experience. The existential belief that everything is the same was my departure point. The white envelopes everything, the subject fades in and out with the background. I really wanted to capture something being there and not being there at the same time. The title gathering of the psyche, is just looking at the collection of paintings as a bringing together of all different parts of a soul or a collective psyche.
Sleepwalking, from Gathering of the Psyche series, 2012, oil on canvas, 48 x 48 inches (detail)
P.A: You seem very prolific and driven to produce new work. Where do you find your inspiration?
J.M: I find inspiration randomly. I wish I had more control over being inspired, some days I will be extremely productive and other days I won’t be able to go into my studio at all. I find a lot of inspiration from nature, and natural beauty, mysticism and spirituality.
P.A: How successful is your marketing of your art works. I noticed you had limited edition prints of works as well as other platforms to have your work displayed i.e. on cell phones etc.
J.M: I think having multiples, limited edition prints and other accessible products available is always good. There are so many people who might live to far away to want to pay for the cost of shipping a really large piece. A lot of my works are large, and shipping them can be tricky. Having prints makes the work more accessible, affordable, and with small edition sizes, still precious.
P.A: I notice you have used social media to connect with potential clients – using twitter, blogs etc. Do you see it as a necessary tool as an artist today to help market your work and get it seen?
J.M: I think all artists should be online, if they have the opportunity, its very beneficial. I have come into contact with so many great artists through the Internet, and sold numerous paintings that way. My favourite aspect of social networking in regards to my work, is that it makes it really easy for me to talk with people from all over the world who want to comment on a new piece I put up. And they can feel connected with me.
Perry Winkle, from Toxic Love series, 2011-2012, oil on canvas, 36 x 30 inches
P.A: Your most recent exhibition at Neubacher Shor Contemporary embraced a number of series of your works. How did you see them connect with each other?
J.M: I was kind of surprised seeing them all together like that, I was able to see underlying themes throughout my work, of loneliness or “alone-ness”, femininity, and introspection. Despite the work being from varied series, I thought the show came together in an unexpected and lovely way. And that is always a nice surprise.
P.A: Were there any major influences either in school or today that help shape your work?
J.M: I have always found nature a balancing and inspiring force in my life. I have definitely been inspired by different classes taken at OCAD, like existentialism, and now I am always finding inspiration wherever I can in my life, whether its books, going outside or just day to day life.
Milkweed, from Toxic Love series, 2011-2012, oil on canvas, 36 x 30 inches
P.A: You have a book project you are working on for March of 2013. Can you tell us more about this project?
J.M: “Everything nothing” is the title, and I think it’s the only title that fits. It’s a combination of sketches poems, short stories, photography, and other tidbits… I am really excited about it. It is just all these precious things that are all put together, but I don’t want to give too much away.
P.A: What other exhibitions are coming up for you?
J.M: I think there are a few, two in November, a group show at NSC in December, another group show with Prisma collective in February, and tentatively another show at NSC in March. So there is much coming up, and it’s always nice to have things to shoot for and look forward to… it really helps in keeping productive.
Text and photo: Phil Anderson
