An Interesting Conversation with Jessica Cannon

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Jessica Cannon was born in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, in 1979. Selected solo exhibitions include Veils at Polina Berlin Gallery (New York, NY), The Spiral Path at Winston’s (Los Angeles, CA), and Rapid Cycle at Honey Ramka (Brooklyn, NY). Recent group exhibitions include Fresh Nature at Kutlesa Gallery (Goldau, Switzerland), Soft Focus at Superzoom (Paris, France - presented by Polina Berlin), Double Up at My Pet Ram (Santa Barbara, CA), Jung Lovers (Soloway, Brooklyn), and Master Class: Color at The Manes Center for Contemporary Art (Roslyn, NY).

She is a past recipient of The Brooklyn Arts Council’s Community Arts Fund Grant and a recent resident at the Jentel Foundation in Banner, WY, and RAiR’s Historic Studios in Roswell, NM. Select press and publications include The New York Times, Flaunt Magazine, phaidon.com, Maake Magazine, New American Paintings, Dovetail, Quest Magazine, and Hyperallergic.

In the Fall of 2017, Jessica founded Far By Wide, an ongoing series of exhibitions online and in pop-up spaces to support social and environmental justice organizations. She received a BA from Tufts University and an MFA from Parsons School of Design. She currently teaches Drawing and Painting at CUNY Queens College.

I had the pleasure of asking Jessica about her studio's go-to tool, her current exhibition, and more.

UZOMAH: What unique themes do you find most compelling in your creative process? Are there any themes explored by other artists that you find particularly intriguing?

JESSICA: I often discover themes in my work through drawing and painting, which leads me to investigate other artists as well. Formally, I’m interested in light, color, mark-making, and geometry. I like that these elements are rooted in physical logic but can combine to create spaces that suggest realms beyond the visible.

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U: Could you share what brings you the most joy in creating art (particularly in relation to your upcoming show)?

J: For me, the most joyous thing about making art is following my curiosity to unexpected places and allowing myself and the work to be changed by that.

Each painting unfolds slowly, and this slowness feels exciting because there are many moments to consider what the painting is and what it could be, not just as an image but in how the light responds to the surface and how color can be channeled to create space and movement.

I learned so much working toward my upcoming show at GAVLAK. The larger paintings offered space for the imagery to expand and for the colors to become more concentrated or diffused.

Working larger also highlighted a contrast between the stillness in the subject matter and optical shifts in the surface of each painting. Each day, I look forward to being in the studio because it connects me to my perceptions and subjectivity while simultaneously drawing from vast places beyond my understanding.

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U: Your current exhibition at GAVLAK, the show focuses on new, semi-abstract works. Can you discuss the selection process and what new works you want in the show?

J: While working on the paintings for Eternal Geometries, I moved back and forth between several canvases simultaneously. I think the work benefited from being in dialogue with one another, and I wanted the show to reflect the fluidity of that studio conversation through interrelated imagery and color palettes. The final eleven works include paintings of celestial forms in vertical alignment and depictions of permeable shields and bridges. For each painting and the exhibition as a whole, I wanted to balance structure and ephemerality.

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U: How do you perceive the role of an artist in society? Where do you position yourself within the artist/activist community?

J: I think artists have many roles in society, which is exciting. In each of these roles, there is the opportunity to go deep, stay open, allow for uncertainty, and respond in ways that feel authentic to each artist’s voice. Many issues and crises deserve attention and care. Lately, I've sought solace in allowing my studio work to unfold according to intuition and a longer view of time while trying to balance that with efforts to support the causes I care about outside the studio.

U: Currently, you teach Drawing and Painting at CUNY Queens College. How do you combine your prior education and experience as a working artist to guide your students to use their art to craft their own statement?

J: I want students to have as many entry points and contexts to art-making as possible so that they find something to connect with and develop further. We go deep into fundamentals and critical thinking but always with the intention that these are tools in their hands rather than a singular approach.

I also try to encourage students to be aware of the language they use in their internal dialogue while making art. Just like with working artists, it's helpful to have a curious and descriptive approach rather than a dismissive one.

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U: What is the most important lesson you have learned that has influenced you as an artist that does not come from the art world?

J: As far back as I can remember, my Mom pointed to the natural world- the moon, changing light in the day and night skies, flowers, trees, and animals. We often visited the beach to dig in the sand and look at the ocean and the horizon. When I think back, she was teaching me how to see, not only in a visual sense but in how to have a sense of self that is part of something larger and more mysterious.

U: How would you describe your work in one word or sentence to help someone better understand it before seeing it?

J: I always love hearing how viewers respond to the paintings. If I had to break it down to one word, I'd say the paintings are an invitation.

U: What is your go-to item in your studio?

J: The most treasured item is a set of drafting tools my Grandfather used for carpentry. For many years, he had a workshop near my studio in Brooklyn, so he always feels close by.

For more information about Jessica’s artwork, please visit her site here, and she can be found on Instagram. For more information about her current exhibit at GAVLAK Gallery, please visit here.