By Kevin Murphy Wilson • Photos by Matt Johnson
This month, to commemorate the inaugural semester of its new Experimental Fashion and Performance Pathway the Kentucky College of Art + Design proudly presents Disguise, Mischief, and Freedom at the 849 Gallery (849 S. 3rd Street). According to the show’s Curator Vincent Tiley this provocative exhibition, which opens Nov. 7 and runs through Jan. 31, “explores garments, adornment and the narratives they proclaim about ourselves.”
Tiley also told the VOICE-TRIBUNE that “this multidisciplinary event celebrates costume and artifice as strategies for play and critique in a society obsessed with authenticity.”
Beyond that, for Disguise, Mischief and Freedom Tiley assembled a stunning cast of participating artists that ought not be missed: Leigh Bowery; Jake Brush; Dietmar Busse; Peter Cage; Fergus Greer; Terence Koh; Ana Mendieta; Narcissister; Rose Nestler; Breyer P-Orridge; Edwin Ramirez; Web Richards; Cindy Sherman; and Jake Ford.
We recently caught up with Ford, who grew up in Southern Indiana and graduated with a BFA in Sculpture from the University of Louisville, to discuss his practice and the upcoming festivities at KyCAD.
VT: What put you on the creative path in the first place?
JF: “My parents exposed me to the arts at a young age. I grew up tinkering around my father’s wood shop in his garage and playing on my mother’s sewing machine. My art teachers at Our Lady of Providence High School also encouraged me. J.D. Dotson, Rick Stuber, and Donna Burden were all practicing artists and entrepreneurs. Seeing their passion and creative lifestyles definitely influenced my choice to pursue a studio art practice.”
VT: Were there any specific artists that you wanted to emulate?
JF: “Ernesto Neto is one of my all-time favorite artists. His work references the interior body and systems. Neto’s large-scale immersive and often interactive architectural installations create a playful and intimate experience between the viewer, the artwork, and other participants. This playful intimacy is something I try to emulate in my work. Other personally inspirational artists are Beck and Col, Daisy Collingridge, Charlotte Kingsnorth, and Patricia Piccinini. I also love immersive experiences and collaboration. Visiting Meow Wolf in Denver was an amazing experience. Group play with adults does not happen very often. Immersive art spaces like Meow Wolf allow for a return to childlike wonder and exploration. Some musical performances were very impactful on my art practice as well. The Flaming Lips, Of Montreal, and Yeasayer all use visual and theatrical elements in their performances. For me, this elevated environment creates a connected communal experience with the audience, which has influenced my work.”
VT: How would you describe your visual art in general? Is there a medium/genre/area of research that excites you? Have your techniques or interests evolved over the years?
JF: “Mostly I work with additive 3D sculptures using fabric, foam, and other soft materials. However, I love to explore all art-making practices. I have made work from traditional painting to more experimental sound and performance experiences. Recently, I combined my interests in woodworking and painting in a new series of stacked wood panel paintings called Between Bodies. In this series I explored how form and color can evoke emotions around identity formation. Psychology and queer theory are areas I often research. I reference Carl Jung’s writing about archetypes and symbols and Judith Butler’s theory of gender performativity. Sci-Fi and horror films have also been sources of inspiration for me. Specifically body horror and depictions of aliens. These films often show our internal anxieties manifested into a physical form. I try to create a similar but more playful experience in my work. I love the idea of confronting parts of ourselves that we often try to repress. David Cronenberg’s Videodrome was the catalyst for this theme that continues to run through my work.”
VT: Do you see any overlap between your professional practice as an artist and your dabbling as a musician?
JF: “I wouldn’t call myself a musician. I fiddle around with my guitar and love to incorporate soundscapes into my work when appropriate. Music has the ability to transform our psychological environment in a way that visual art cannot. I look at music and sound as another material to create an experience. Physical mediums, video, light, and sound are all fair game for creating art in my opinion.”
VT: What can you tell us about the upcoming exhibition at KyCAD?
JF: “For the upcoming show Disguise, Mischief, and Freedom, I created an interactive sculpture about deconstructing categories I often let constrain my identity expression. I reupholstered a standard fixture in many family homes, the recliner chair. Instead of being a throne for the household patriarch to watch football, my chair was transformed into a cute yet monstrous nest for pleasure seeking and play. I used many different fabrics and added new forms to create an uncomfortable but inviting interaction between the participant and other viewers.”
VT: Looking back from this juncture, what are you most proud of? And what are your hopes for the future?
JF: “Finding a good balance between maintaining a comfortable life and leaving time to make art is a skill. In the future I would like to do more collaborations with other artists, musicians, and performers. One of my proudest moments was seeing a sculpture I made for the Choreographer’s Showcase used in a performance by the Louisville Ballet. The dancers and choreography by Sanjay Saverimuttu brought the sculpture to life in a way I had never seen before.”
For more information about Disguise, Mischief, and Freedom, visit www.kycad.org.
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