JENNA RODRIGUEZ

The End Is Here!!!!!

Jenna — Tue, 14 May 2013 15:43:57 +0000

This weekend I will be walking and officially receive my MFA in Interdisciplinary Book and Paper Arts. It was a long and fast three years. (if that makes sense) Looking back I feel the time has flown by but during these three years I remember feeling the end of the tunnel was soooo far away. Now I am trying to figure out the question everyone in the past couple months has been asking me… “What is next?” As of now I am hoping and praying for a job in the near future!!! The search mission is beginning. I currently have THREE part-time jobs (I produce the Journal of Artists Books (JAB), teach art at two public schools in Chicago, and the not so fun job of waiting tables). My goal is to find ONE full time job. Oh how lovely that would be. Well that is it for now. Enjoy some pics from my thesis show!

Thesis Opening Reception!!!!!!!

Jenna — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 21:57:17 +0000

The time has come…

I have ALMOST survived my three years of graduate school. This friday is install day for my thesis show and the opening reception is April 26th from 5-7pm. If you are in the Chicago area please join it is at 1104 South Wabash Ave. 2nd floor.

My installation Running Thoughts has three components: soundscape, projection, and handmade book. I finished printing the book this past weekend and dropped it off to a binding company today so they can score the folds. One last edit left in my video footage and sound scape is complete.

I remember when I first entered grad school thinking three years is a long time and now I cant believe how fast things have gone by.

JAB33 Release Party!

Jenna — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 01:22:32 +0000

JAB33 is finally complete! We are having a release party and reading this Friday, April 5th @ 6:00pm on the 2nd floor in 1104 South Wabash. Come join us. For those of you wondering what JAB is let me fill you in…

JAB (Journal of Artists’ Books) “provides a platform for both theoretical and creative expression, a forum for the study of artists books.” For the past two years I have had the honor of being the print production fellow for JAB where I work closely with Brad Freeman the editor.

If you would like to subscribe or learn more about JAB visit the websitehttp://www.journalofartistsbooks.org/index.php

Marvelous Freedom/Vigilance of Desire, Revisited Exhibition

Jenna — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 17:12:23 +0000

Marvelous Freedom/Vigilance of Desire, Revisited is a current exhibition in the Arcade gallery at 618 S Michigan Ave on the 2nd floor until March 15th.

“Taking its cue from San Francisco-based writer and performer D. Scot Miller’s AfroSurreal Manifesto: Black is the New Black, Marvelous Freedom: Vigilance of Desire, Revisited is a group exhibition that explores Chicago’s contemporary and emerging artists of color who approach art-making through an Afro-Surrealist lens. Curated by School of the Art Institute of Chicago BFA candidate, Alexandria Eregbu, Marvelous Freedom: Vigilance of Desire, Revisited engages the richness of Chicago’s Surrealist history in order to extend, expand, and re-impose new visions of 21st century Afro-Surrealist aesthetics and cultural concerns, reexamining the first Marvelous Freedom/Vigilance of Desire, the Surrealist exhibition that took place in Chicago in 1976.” For more information

My colleague Krista Franklin has her handmade paper with hair embedded in it on display. It is a very teeny tiny sneak peak of what her thesis show will contain. Here are a few pics from the show.

Work by Krista Franklin

“Running Thoughts”

Jenna — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 18:20:44 +0000

For the past 6 months I have been working on my thesis project called “Running Thoughts.”

Running Thoughts” is an interdisciplinary art installation in which commuters on public transportation answer, the question “Why are you going?” I have transformed the material I collected, which includes recordings, interviews, conversations and written surveys, into a layered soundscape that is synced with a motion graphic wall projection and accompanied by a handmade book. “Running Thoughts” offers an insight into the public and private thoughts of Chicago commuters. The work will be installed in the Center for Book and Paper Arts gallery on April 26^th for six weeks.

When riding public transportation you are in a small public space with strangers. Silence is the norm with small gestures of acknowledgement or avoidance, while meaningful interaction is the exception. However, beneath these spaces there is a primordial soup of humanness: Each of us has our own worries, triumphs, annoyances, jokes and insights that ultimately are similar. I will access them; bring them to the public in a tangible form—and seek to connect the randomness of our passings: those brief moments we inhabit the same physical space and connect the mental space briefly. The aim of my projects is to increase awareness, shed light on our passing thoughts and emphasizing our commonality—expose the spark of life behind our eyes and form a lasting connection between us all. Ultimately, “Running Thoughts” will reveal a certain aspect of humanity and open a window into our traveling companion’s being.

Here is my first sketch of the installation

Stay tuned for more sneak peeks…

Helen Frederick and Chris Kallmyer came to Columbia!!!

Jenna — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 18:42:27 +0000

Toward the end of the semester we had two wonderful visiting artists: Helen Frederick and Chris Kallmyer. They both gave wonderful lectures. Helen spoke about investigating cultural literacy. She discussed her trip to China where she investigated hand papermaking from two different locations to help her further understand how hand papermaking provides an intersection of cultural values and their effect on economic development. Chris Kallmyer is a sound artist and makes work by using everyday objects like lawnmowers, sheep, car horns, etc. He explores the processes, customs, and environments through which humans have altered landscape and place. I had the honor to have a studio visit with both artists who gave me wonderful feedback and advice for my up and coming project “Running Thoughts.” If you have never heard of either artists I would highly recommend looking at their work.

http://www.chriskallmyer.com

http://helenfrederick.com

Image of Chris during his lecture. This is when he is discussing his love/hate relationship for technology.

Johanna Drucker at Center for Book and Paper Arts Chicago

Jenna — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 23:10:25 +0000

The Center for Book and Paper Arts at Columbia College Chicago currently has a solo exhibition of Johanna Drucker’s work on display called Druckworks: 40 years of Books and Projects. If you have not seen it yet it is a must and is up until December 7th on the second floor in 1104 South Wabash. Last night I had the honor to listen to a lecture she gave here. Her talk revolved around Writing by Design. Throughout Johanna’s work she continues to consider and think about the space of the page, the book format, and ways to enhance the text. One can quickly view her book and appreciate the visual aspect of it and a understand a basic narrative but to truly have a full experience with her books one will need to spend a lot of time with them because there are many layers in her books and lots of decoding. She said letterpress printing changed her capacity and thinking for writing. When she held the physical type, lead, and furniture it opened up a whole new world of design for her.

Lessons I’ve Learned From Rap Songs

Jenna — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 22:19:05 +0000

If in Chicago stop by 1104 South Wabash. Adjunct Professor Claire Sammons and I have our undergraduate student’s work on display on the first floor. Last semester both undergraduate intro to letterpress classes collaborated for a wood type project. As a group they voted on the theme Lessons I’ve Learned From Rap Songs. Here are some images of the work.

APHA (American Printing History Association) Conference

Jenna — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 17:52:22 +0000

This past weekend The Center for Book and Paper Arts at Columbia College hosted the American Printing History Association Conference. Chicago was the perfect location for the conference this year. The Center’s building is located in the heart of Printer’s Row. In the late nineteenth century this area was the heart of Chicago’s printing and publishing industry. The remnants of printing businesses are still visible in the area through the architecture and signage.

Printer’s Square Building

It was a two day conference which kicked off with a mini book fair. There were wonderful artists and books at the fair. There was a good variety of books that ranged from type specimen books, books on printing history, to artist books. Then Saturday was panel talk after panel talk that range from french street signage, designing typefaces, this history of printing presses, and much more.

Books by Firebrand Press

“Circus Watcher” by Ken Botnick

Dave Peat’s Gothic Sectional typeface

Lastly, there was a pop-up student gallery for students who attended the conference. This was my first APHA conference and it will not be my last.

Student Gallery works by Katie Kotan and Crane Giamo

Student Gallery works by Claire Sammons and boo Gilder

Student Gallery works by Kathi Beste and Caroline Anderson

New York Art Book Fair

Jenna — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 17:58:48 +0000

This past weekend I finally made my trek to the mecca of my art world: The New York Art Book Fair. I have had many dreams about this day. For those of you who don’t know about it the fair is in New York City at the Moma PS1 in Long Island City, Queens. http://nyartbookfair.com/about Free and open to the public, the NY Art Book Fair is the world’s premier event for artists’ books, catalogs, monographs, periodicals, and zines presented by 283 international presses, booksellers, antiquarians, artists, and independent publishers from twenty-six countries.

There was room after room of art books. I have never seen anything like it before and at times it almost seemed overwhelming. If you ever plan to go in the future take my advice and be prepared to sweat! It was extremely hot which was the only downfall. The rooms are not very spacious and didn’t have air flow. Lastly, only do a few hours a day or you will have a brain overload. Besides the heat it was an inspiring experience and encourages me to keep doing what I am doing. Check out some pictures.