DESTIG INTERVIEW WITH JORDAN WADE, NUMBER 7 ON OUR LIST OF 25 RECOMMENDED ARTISTS FOR 2019.
Tell us about yourself and background.
I'm a classic case of someone who discovered a passion for art, writing and music-making later in my life. When it comes to these art forms, I love getting my hands dirty and diving into new territory right away. Even if I fail and the final product isn't what I wanted, it's the learning process that has bettered me as the current man that I am. As a kid and a younger adult though, I was super focused on competitive sports and school. I played collegiate soccer and I have a bachelor's degree in accounting. But now I've progressed into the artful side of my twenties, always learning by doing. Self-taught and self-motivated.
Tell us about your work.
My work is mostly collage-based with vintage photographs, and digitally made. As I begin a new artwork, generally I have no clear cut intention of how I want it to turn out, which can lead me to more interesting and unexpected outcomes. But at some stage during the process, I will follow a theme (whether it's surreal, humorous or nostalgic) that naturally takes shape as I create. What makes collage so great is that you get to flip an everyday situation or event into something unique.
"What makes collage so great is that you get to flip an everyday situation or event into something unique."
What makes your work and approach unique?
I try and keep a sense of reality among the pieces I make. Many collage artists will cut and paste an array of inclusions that don't really relate to the source image of the collage, or to what the main theme of it is. I like to keep a sense of possibility in my work. Having the viewer asking themselves maybe, just maybe, could this be happening in some other ethereal plane?
Why is your work a good investment?
I wouldn't feel comfortable in my honored, humble nature to convince others of the quality of my art. But what I would say is that collage is a very exciting two-way medium. It can be light and fun, or the same subject matter can get a slight twist and turn real bizarre, real quick. And I believe that what I create is unique in the medium of collage, and it would bring a range of intrigue and emotions to those who'd be interested.
Tell us about some of your achievements.
My work "I Love You Like Sea Water" has been featured on EatSleepDraw's website amd Tumblr page. I was featured on the front page of Ello: The Creator's Community for my submission to Unvael Journal's Issue Four. I've also created different album covers for personal friends of mine. Since I've only started sharing my art in the past two years, I haven't had much exposure yet. But every feature helps!
"I feel like we all have that artistic fury and grit that drives us as humans, but in the modern world we cut ourselves off from that primal, creative nature in us."
What are your sources of inspiration?
Other collage artists without a doubt. Movies and books to an extent. I don't try and emulate other artists necessarily, but I definitely use them as influence for my own stuff. For digital artists, unintentional collusion is inevitable. But my inspiration can blossom out of the simple fact of creating something out of something else, visuals that I and other people love to look at and admire, which makes us view the world in other shades.
What are you passionate about?
When I was in high school, my favorite band was Rage Against the Machine. They had this level of raw fury and honesty that I'd never known before. I feel like we all have that artistic fury and grit that drives us as humans, but in the modern world we cut ourselves off from that primal, creative nature in us. That's why I love art so much, and why I'm passionate about it. It's our last bastian of honesty.
"I like to keep a sense of possibility in my work. Having the viewer asking themselves maybe, just maybe, could this be happening in some other ethereal plane?"
Share with us your upcoming projects.
Soon I'll be creating more cover art for the band Fyoog's second EP. Where I live, there's a wealth of art fesitvals and events that take place monthly and annually, so I am in the slow but fun process of getting prints of my digital works and selling them as a vendor at these events. And I always attempt to make at least one new work a week.
Tell us about where you are based.
The Grand Canyon State! I live in Phoenix, Arizona and absolutely love it. The greater metropolitan area is so expanded and vast that you can honestly get lost trying to find things to do. Downtown Phoenix, Tempe and definitely Mesa are standout locations for the art scene. And yes, of course yes, it is hot here. But I'm a fan of our heat. Especially since I work inside on the computer, and not outside with the sweating muralists.
"Art doesn't need to be a lord and savior for the world. It can be beneficial and spark social change, or be a call for justice, or have a message to tell. But it's ability to connect our collective unconscious not for a purpose, but just for an entertaining moment, is what I consider its role to be."
How do you feel about art and its role in the world?
Art gets a massive amount of pressure heaped onto it. On one hand, like I've said, I do think art is one of the few things left in life to be completely honest and forthcoming. But art doesn't need to be a lord and savior for the world. It can be beneficial and spark social change, or be a call for justice, or have a message to tell. But it's ability to connect our collective unconscious not for a purpose, but just for an entertaining moment, is what I consider its role to be.
What other pursuits would you say you have?
I am also a writer. An aspiring one I'll add, with the perfect pinch of optimism. It varies depending on the day, but truth be told I spend as much time writing as I do making art. I've finished my first novel which I'm hoping to get published, and I'm currently working on a second book.
Website: jordanleewadeartwork.tumblr.com
| PDF of the Interview in DESTIG Magazine |