Jennifer Gordon
By Clemencia Marshall
Jennifer Gordon is a mixed media artist whose work spans across history before your eyes. Imagine looking at one piece and seeing yourself in Paris, London, or even India, and then looking at another piece and feeling Amelia Earhart’s eyes on you as she walks to board the plane for her last voyage. There is something inspiring about her work; whether you are a man, woman, or child, it makes you stop in your tracks. Her work makes the viewer wish they could hold any of the histories time frames forever.
Now you don’t have to be a history buff or a well versed playwright to understand her work. You don’t have to make 2 million dollars a year and go on trips to the heart of the Amazon every year. All you have to be is yourself. “As far as age and race, it runs the gambit; I’ve sold work to elderly lesbians and people who are buying artwork for the first time, Tony Award-winning actresses and authors, people that work in the fashion industry, and musicians,” Jennifer Gordon said in a question and answer interview.
“I think what I am doing with my collage work must speak to something in people that spans far past typical demographics.” Now, some of you may be thinking, “Jennifer Gordon, where have I heard that name?” To be honest, it could have been anywhere — from the comics of “Stiletto Heights,” which Jennifer Gordon writes, to the comics of “Batman” in which Batgirl’s name is literally Jennifer Gordon. If that’s not the case, then maybe by some rare chance, you have seen Jennifer Gordon on stage.
“…I stepped away from theater truthfully because to be an actress you must have a really thick skin, both to deal with rejection and jealousies and insecurities. I don’t have that thick of skin, and I am really far too sensitive for that lifestyle long-term. I realized I was the happiest when I was studying acting, or even coaching acting…being on stage and the final performance was never the highlight for me.”
This is a good thing indeed for anyone who loves art. Her creations are like candy for the eyes, and if you can’t have sweets, then think of it as the finest apple in the orchard. As far as what should be taken away after viewing her artwork: “I think if people take anything away from it, then it’s a good thing. I think there is nothing worse than looking at a piece of ‘art’ and feeling nothing. I would hope that people would feel contemplative after looking at my work. I hope that they would spend time trying to unravel the meaning behind the pieces and the titles.”
Jennifer graduated from the acting program at the New Hampshire Institute of Art, and she also went back to school to study English and Art History at the University of New Hampshire while working as an assistant gallery director at the Art 3 Gallery in New Hampshire. If you can’t believe that, then take her answer for a question about the time period or artist who reflects her artwork most: Her response was simply, “I think more than any specific artist my work is most reflective or inspired by the Pre-Raphaelite movement. I think I have the same love of the melodramatic, forlorn, the impossibly beautiful. I’m also interested in the same themes that the Pre-Raphaelites were illustrating, such as Shakespeare, classical poems, and Greek mythology.” This is a pretty impressive response, regardless of who you are.
She moved to Columbus to be with “her love” and this story can be seen in her indie comic “Stiletto Heights.” She worked at Midgard Comics, and if you can remember when they used to have shows, she was there for part of that, too. But mainly, Jennifer became a full time artist because it made her happy.
Now, although Jennifer isn’t Batgirl, she seems almost too good to be true. Truth be told, she isn’t. Jennifer may not fight crime on the streets, but she donates to charities. “I have donated pieces to “Make a Wish” charity auctions in the past; I also donate a portion of what I make to the American Cancer Society to support Breast Cancer research.” In her down time Jennifer loves to read. “I read, a lot….as if books are going to be banned at any moment; I read them voraciously before they are snatched away. I daydream a lot, I eat sweets with my husband and play with our dog. I sadly spend time reading celebrity gossip sites as well as Gossip Girl forums.”
If you are interested in learning more about Jennifer Gordon’s work, you can see her artwork at www.jennifergordonart.com, or even buy it from stilettoheights.etsy.com. As far as seeing her in a gallery, she hasn’t started on that yet, but “…My New Year’s Resolution is to start contacting some galleries; I’ve always wanted to have a showing someplace in the Short North.” So for a genuine eyeful of amazing artwork, you should check her out, because what made her become a full-time artist is something that should inspire us all.
“I think there was nothing else that I would really rather be — I’ve had all sorts of jobs in the past, working as a barista, a retail slave, an actress, a gallery director, a magician’s assistant, and comic shop owner…but nothing has ever felt as right as being able to do art full time.”
Originally Published: Issue 678 - November 19, 2008
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