Throat Culture (004) Jessica Gaddis: Artist.

There are three “contemporary art shows” (would MODERN ART be a better term? — hardly, “modern art” sounds so twentieth century) in Taos RIGHT NOW!!! — “High Art/LowBrow” (reviewed HERE by Motown) at Greg Moon Gallery, a new show of student collage/collaborations from Chrysalis High School at Taos Ale House, & Jessica Gaddis’ recent works at Z@ng Warehouse. ALL of them a bit off the beaten path (well…Greg Moon Gallery IS on Kit Carson in the center of town & Taos Ale House IS right across from the main post office) BUT, off the beaten Artistic path, if you will, of Taos SouthWestern dungeon. I was really moved by Jessica’s sculptures, for lack of a better term, & pen-pal’d it a bit with her while she “vacays in Italy, baby!”

THROAT CULTURE: The eggshell… sculpture? — What would you call it? Assemblage?

JESSICA: I’ve been calling them wall-hangings. I used to call them paintings, but they are obviously much more than that.

TC: What are the dimensions?

J: 48″x48″ & about 3″ thick.

TC: How long did it take to make?

J: 1 week

TC: How recently did you make it?

J: It was made in March 2013

TC: (I LOVE this piece!… can’t you tell?)

J: Yes me too 🙂

TC: Do you plan on making more?

J: Yes. I thought I should be done & move on from the eggshells, but I absolutely love making them. I like the thought that it represents intention. Each individual egg shell is hand-placed. I feel my sexiest when I am in the studio working on these. Plus, people love looking at them. So instead of stopping, since I have done it already, I will probably make them until I am tired of making them.

TC: Where did you go to school & what did you study?

J: SUNY New Paltz, in New Paltz NY. I received my BFA in Painting & Drawing in 2009.

TC: What brought you to Taos — & when did you move here?

J: Earthship Biotecture in March of 2011. The summer of 2009 I discovered Taos on a road trip & came back to intern for EB. I was hired & worked for them for 2 years. Now I am a ceramicist for Zang.

TC: How do the drawings/poems fit in with the show?

J: They were more of a personal item than a formal piece for the show, & not something I would normally display in a gallery. I was in a car accident in September, and a lot of the drawings I made while I was “sitting.” The photos and drawings were meant to be quick & blurry representations of my recent life. They were little pieces of my heart to say “thank you” to all of the wonderfully intense things that have happened to me in the past year.

(Ken McNamara & Bonnie McNairn at the opening 3-29-2013)

TC: What’s up with the lamps?

J: I have been wanting to make lamps for some time. So far, it helps my sculptures make sense to me. I love light and color in general & want to capture the way light can be filtered through things. I feel by putting a light into one of my sculptures, it gives them a heartbeat, and brings them to life.