What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1446546
8 WHAT'S UP! JANUARY 30-FEBRUARY 5, 2022 FEATURE Worlds In Harmony Nature, nurture come together in Jo Stealey's art BECCA MARTIN-BROWN NWA Democrat-Gazette L ife is comprised of mundane objects, moments and daily routines which provide the accretion of who we are," says artist Jo Stealey. "The often overlooked juxtaposition of a book, an old family photograph and a teacup on a shelf not only speak to my personal aesthetic, but also suggest a history while adorning my domestic environment. My grandfather's hammer which hangs in my studio alongside my other woodworking tools reminds me of him and my childhood every time I use it. These are objects that are indicative of my life story and history. These ordinary moments, unnoticed by most, speak to me and inspire my work." Stealey, who was for many years a professor in the art department at the University of Missouri in Columbia, is recognized as an authority on contemporary fiber art. Founder of the School of Visual Studies at Mizzou, she says she's "finally graduated to be a full- time studio artist." And having done so, she has invested her time recently in an exhibition currently on show at the Windgate Art & Design Gallery at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith. "Extra/Ordinary," she says, brings together the ordinary moments she speaks of in her artist statement with "the rural environment along the Missouri River which has been a constant companion since childhood. Daily hikes through the hills, valleys, forest and waterways provide spiritual sustenance. The twist of a vine in the forest, the negative space between the trees cause a moment of pause on my daily hikes. "The inspiration for 'Extra/Ordinary' grew out of these daily observations of my domestic and natural world," Stealey goes on. "These experiences and objects are aestheticized, becoming subject and metaphor of daily life in all its ordinariness, becoming much more than a transient moment or an unseen object in a domestic environment. "The work navigates between the domestic life within nature and within my personal life. The two overlap for me. Nature informs the domestic and the domestic is impacted by my relationship with the natural world." Stealey answered these five questions for What's Up! Q. Tell me about growing up and what influences did that childhood have on the direction of your work as an artist? A. A farm near St. Louis close to the Missouri River was my childhood home. Although I don't think I realized it at the time, it was an idyllic childhood. Freedom to roam hills and valleys, as well as opportunities to attend concerts, museums and many cultural activities inspired a passion for both worlds. Much of my childhood was spent in the woods and wandering creek beds. Today nature continues to be an integral element of my life and inspiration for my studio practice. The other foundational element in the work is my experience with family and domestic life. Q. Was there a particular moment or artwork that inspired your interest in fiber arts? If Jo Stealey had to choose a single work for viewers to ponder in her exhibition "Extra/Ordinary," it would be the one titled "Forest." "It is about the life-death-life cycle and the natural order of the world," she explains. "Each time it is shown, some pieces are eliminated, and others added to reflect that life is in constant change — never stagnant. There are elements of birth, growth, maturity and death throughout the installation, a metaphor for all life." (Courtesy Photo/UAFS)