Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeanne Jaffe.
So, before we jump into specific questions about your work, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I grew up in a small town in western Pennsylvania near Pittsburgh called Butler near a forest and a lake where I spent much of my time and which I believe is the source of much of my artistic work. During my last year in high school, I studied for a year in Israel where I planned to pursue a degree in archaeology. Instead, I returned to the United States to major in art at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, later transferring to Tyler School of Art to finish my BFA and then completed my MFA degree at Alfred University in ceramics. I moved to New York for a number of years where I worked as an assistant to the sculptor, Mary Frank. Coming from a small town, New York was quite a cultural shock. I learned a great deal there and had a small studio. Although the city was very interesting and eye-opening, it was also very difficult and expensive to survive as an artist. Eventually, I moved to Philadelphia to become a faculty member at The University of the Arts in the Sculpture department where I worked as an artist and taught for many years. Philadelphia is a vibrant city with much history, affordable housing, and studio spaces and a wonderful city for artists. I loved teaching and watching the students discover who there were, what they cared about, and their sources of strength and passion. I also enjoyed becoming an active participant within the arts community and contributing to the creative dialogue there. But about two years ago, it was time to leave Philadelphia and take on some a new chapter and new challenges, so I moved to southern Florida,
Now, I live in Florida most of the year except for three months each fall when I teach in China in the Sculpture department at Xian Academy of Fine Arts. This experience brings full circle my interest in antiquity and art since China has such amazing archeological sites. During the remainder of the time, I work in my studio and am also the Coordinator of international programming at the Jaffe Center for Book Arts. I love living here; the sun, the water everywhere, the flora and fauna, the birds. It is paradise!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Periods of struggles come and go as they do for everyone. Struggle and the confusion that usually accompanies it are part of the creative process for everyone.
For me, a specific major struggle occurred when I was hit by a car as a pedestrian. As a result, I could no longer lift heavy materials such as clay and had to find a new way of creating sculpture. I started working in paper sculpturally which changed the direction and possibilities of my work. Frequently struggles, as unpleasant they may seem at the time, turn out to be new doors and entrances to reexamine conditioned ways of thinking and doing things.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
My work is inspired by an interest in anthropology, mythology, and psychology. Much of my work explores how identity is forged from early, pre-verbal bodily experience through the later influences of language and culture.
My earlier work explores pre-verbal, bodily experiences by creating hybrid forms of mixed origins of experience – fusions of animate and inanimate worlds, forms which seem familiar yet strange.
My later work explores how we become conditioned by language and stories, whether they be folktales, literature, or history. In installations such as” Little Red Riding Hood as a Crime Scene” or “Eulogy for Nikola Tesla “and T.S. Eliot’s Four Quartets”, well known folktales and history, and poetry are reimagined through a contemporary lens and made into multi-sensory environments where sculpture, videos, interactive elements, stop motion animation and sound interact.
I am most interested in how we create meaning and understanding from our interpretation of our sensation, memories, cultural myths, and cultural.
Do you feel like there are certain traits that increase the likelihood of success?
A love of learning, exploring, play, adventure, and imagination are the most important characteristics of success especially in enjoying life.
Also, a certain amount of persistence and determination and curiosity also helps.
Contact Info:
- Address: jeannejaffe.net
- Website: www.jeannejaffe.net
- Email: jfjaffe@aol.com
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