September Artist Spotlight: Jennie Tudor Gray
How did you start creating art?
I am an Austin, TX based multidisciplinary artist, art and yoga teacher, curator, and social justice activist who is passionate about using the arts and yoga as a method of social change. I received my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art with an All Level Teaching Certification from Texas State University-San Marcos. I have been creating art since I was a little kid for as far back as I can remember. It is always something that came naturally to me and I feel at my most sincere when I am creating as well as teaching others art, design, and yoga. Making art is the way I process the world around me. It is my life's passion to share my love for art, creativity, and self expression with others.
What is your preferred medium?
To be honest, I rarely stick to any one art medium, but enjoy exploring as many different materials and processes as possible in order to deepen my own practice as an artist, as well as to better inform my ability to teach a wider variety of art styles and techniques with my students.
I have spent many years of creating intricate collages and mixed media works out of vintage and altered books, found objects, recycled materials
How does reuse play a part in your art?
I like being able to use discarded objects in my work in order to give them new life, reduce waste, and also draw attention to pollution and mass consumption. I think there is something special to be found in the pages and materials from old books and objects cast off by our consumer society. You do not have to spend a lot of money on art supplies in order to create meaningful and significant work. I love reusing materials because the media ends up becoming the message and helps tell the story for you. For the Climate Strike in 2019, my students and I made dozens of protest signs using all recycled materials and found objects and we bought no new materials.
How has your art adapted during the pandemic?
During the pandemic my art has adapted into making use of the materials I already have at home or am able to order online. The pandemic has increased consumption in some ways such as having dozens of brown paper grocery bags from curbside pickup, empty bottles of hand sanitizer, empty canisters of disinfectant wipes, and forced me to consider experimenting with these items in innovative ways. The pandemic has also impacted the way I teach art through remote learning. Since my students are spread out around the world and have a wide variety of circumstances and limited access to supplies, we had to get very creative in our projects. I taught about the life and work of Andy Goldsworthy, who does site specific installations using only natural materials, like leaves, sticks, stones, and snow and students went out into their yards or a nearby park to create their own installations inspired by his work. I am also looking forward to creating wearable art with recycled materials and packaging from all the items we have delivered to us and having a "Trashion Show" with my students this year.
Do you have a favorite ACR find? What did you do with it?
I found some amazing vintage jewelry when I was there including a groovy bakelite pendant with the profile of a young girl with a bouffant hairdo, as well as some unique rhinestone brooches.
Where can we find out more about your art?
You can find out more about my art at www.jennietudorgray.com, on Facebook Jennie Tudor Gray, Artist https://www.facebook.com/
