BY MAUREEN HURLEY
Duane Jones is a behind the scenes sort of guy when it comes to the viewing of art at myriad Bay Area benefit auctions and events, including the San Francisco Art Institute masterʼs Show, Sonoma Countyʼs annual Face to Face, Sebastopol Center for the Arts, etc.
Not only is he the one who made and installed all the panels and pedestals the art is displayed on, heʼs often an organizational sponsor, promoting and showcasing Sonoma County art on numerous platforms. In fact, the successful two-year-old Sebastopol Center for the Arts is his Athena—his brainchild.
Jones is also the director of the California Museum of Art at the Luther Burbank Center, and is responsible for securing eight major shows a year, and purchasing art for the museumʼs permanent collection (the 40-odd 1pieces are on display at the CMA until June 21).
But few know of Jones the sculptor. Jones who works primarily in paper pulp, cardboard, and found objects recently finished with an extensive shield project series. A long time ago, he sculpted in the lost wax bronze casting process. “The direction Iʼm going now is temples and habitats.”
Somewhat of a maverick, the 59-year-old Jones never attended arts school, nor received formal art training, but heʼs always considered himself a visual artist. He says his work is influenced by mentors and friends Raymond Barnhart and the late Paul Beattie; he gives some credit to the work of the masters Rodin and Giacometti.
Though Jones says he has not made a concerted effort to show his sculptures, his work may be viewed at the Bay Arts Gallery in San Francisco, and the Lawrence Gallery in Yountville. Some of his pieces were included at the Sonoma Arts Guild Shrine Show last month. He continues to donate major pieces to Face to Face, The Sebastopol Arts Center, and to local PBS station KRCB art auctions, and has been on the Art Trails open studio tour since its inception.
Born in East L.A., by the age of 17, Jones was a young father supporting a family, and working the swing shift at an aircraft carrier plant while attending school— studying photography. He dropped out of school, went into electronic sales, auto racing—(sports cars and formula cars at the Times Grand Prix, and the Riverside International Raceway against the likes of Phil Hill and Johnny Parsons), started a few successful businesses, but continued to sculpt on the side for pleasure.
In the ʻ60s, Jones worked with desktop size western bronzes in the style of Remington; “You know, that cowboy and Indian stuff. I tried not to make it trite; it was tongue-in-cheek, I didnʼt realize it was so popular. All I wanted was to work with the human gesture, and here I was using a magnifying glass with a loup to get the smile lines on the cowboyʼs faces just right. I needed to loosen up, and finally threw in the towel.”
He found that working with paper and cardboard was less constricting and offered the possibility to work in a larger format, which allowed him to “get caught up in the process, not the end product.” In 1976, the sculptor moved to Sebastopol, and became a builder, constructing houses for friends. Always the entrepreneur, he had a machine shop on the side—working on those foreign cars.
In 1980, tired of dirty fingernails, and wondering what to be when he grew up, he quit the business world for good, deciding it was all nonsense. He saw that the county “was pregnant ready to pop, and become a full-fledged arts scene. There was not much happening in the arts locally, yet I knew there were many good artists living here. Some knew how to market their work elsewhere but most didnʼt.”
Jones had a vision to promote local art, he founded the Bookstore Gallery which displayed museum quality one-man shows in Rohnert Park, and volunteered to help the Sebastopol Library to upgrade their annual arts shows. He also volunteered his time at the CMA, eventually creating a paid staff position as director of the fledgeling museum.
Besides displaying the work of nearly 250 artists last year, the community museum served an estimated 14,000 people. A lot of foot traffic for an out-of-the-way museum that barely saw 2,500 souls (artists included) when Jones came aboard in ʼ86.
In 1991, the CMA featured internationally renown local artists Morri Camhi, Frank Schueler, Judy North, Bill Morehouse, Raymond Barnhart, Charles Churchill, and others. The Sonoma Fine Crafts exhibit featured 22 artists, The Celebrate Sonoma permanent collection represented 20 artists, and at the California Small Works show Jones displayed 229 works from 189 artists (out of 679 entries from across the state).
Jones persevered even when the museumʼs future looked pretty bleak.“Sometimes it was just me fighting for the arts, why? Because I decided I was going to devote my life to the arts. Itʼs a magic county we live in, in that there are a lot of fine artists here who are not recognized in their own back yard. Iʼm a salesman. I know about merchandising, organizing, and marketing from working in the business world. Itʼs easy to show art, I said to the disbelievers letʼs just do it, and make it look professional.” His proof of success? The long list of thriving art galleries (40+) in Sonoma County,
and the steady stream of collectors who come to arts events and galleries to purchase local art. Jones says the county has become more sophistocated. He uses the museum exhibits to educate people—to expose them to the arts, and to give local artists high calibre opportunities to show their work.
Jones also attributes the museumʼs success to the broad-based community support. He is an advocate for accessible, not elitist, or academic art: “A museum is a community, not just for artists, but for the general public to enjoy. California contemporary art is exciting, itʼs accessable; thereʼs a history that needs to be recorded.”
Speaking of history, Jones would be happier of some of his earliest attempts at sculpture would just quietly rest in pieces. Jones whoʼd rather be remembered by his biodegradable paper pieces, disparagingly quips as if the cowboys and Indians were gaining on him: “There are still a lot of my bronzes of mine out there. A beginning artist probably shouldn't make bronzes because they last forever.”
He doesn't quite know what to make of aesthetics of the thief who stole two of his western pieces from the Christopher Queen Gallery display window one night. . . “You know, itʼs ironic, I hate horses. Give me a motorcycle any day; it doesnʼt bite or need to be rubbed down. You can ride it hard, put it away wet, and itʼs OK. ”
Duane Jones is a behind the scenes sort of guy when it comes to the viewing of art at myriad Bay Area benefit auctions and events, including the San Francisco Art Institute masterʼs Show, Sonoma Countyʼs annual Face to Face, Sebastopol Center for the Arts, etc.
Not only is he the one who made and installed all the panels and pedestals the art is displayed on, heʼs often an organizational sponsor, promoting and showcasing Sonoma County art on numerous platforms. In fact, the successful two-year-old Sebastopol Center for the Arts is his Athena—his brainchild.
Jones is also the director of the California Museum of Art at the Luther Burbank Center, and is responsible for securing eight major shows a year, and purchasing art for the museumʼs permanent collection (the 40-odd 1pieces are on display at the CMA until June 21).
But few know of Jones the sculptor. Jones who works primarily in paper pulp, cardboard, and found objects recently finished with an extensive shield project series. A long time ago, he sculpted in the lost wax bronze casting process. “The direction Iʼm going now is temples and habitats.”
Somewhat of a maverick, the 59-year-old Jones never attended arts school, nor received formal art training, but heʼs always considered himself a visual artist. He says his work is influenced by mentors and friends Raymond Barnhart and the late Paul Beattie; he gives some credit to the work of the masters Rodin and Giacometti.
Though Jones says he has not made a concerted effort to show his sculptures, his work may be viewed at the Bay Arts Gallery in San Francisco, and the Lawrence Gallery in Yountville. Some of his pieces were included at the Sonoma Arts Guild Shrine Show last month. He continues to donate major pieces to Face to Face, The Sebastopol Arts Center, and to local PBS station KRCB art auctions, and has been on the Art Trails open studio tour since its inception.
Born in East L.A., by the age of 17, Jones was a young father supporting a family, and working the swing shift at an aircraft carrier plant while attending school— studying photography. He dropped out of school, went into electronic sales, auto racing—(sports cars and formula cars at the Times Grand Prix, and the Riverside International Raceway against the likes of Phil Hill and Johnny Parsons), started a few successful businesses, but continued to sculpt on the side for pleasure.
In the ʻ60s, Jones worked with desktop size western bronzes in the style of Remington; “You know, that cowboy and Indian stuff. I tried not to make it trite; it was tongue-in-cheek, I didnʼt realize it was so popular. All I wanted was to work with the human gesture, and here I was using a magnifying glass with a loup to get the smile lines on the cowboyʼs faces just right. I needed to loosen up, and finally threw in the towel.”
He found that working with paper and cardboard was less constricting and offered the possibility to work in a larger format, which allowed him to “get caught up in the process, not the end product.” In 1976, the sculptor moved to Sebastopol, and became a builder, constructing houses for friends. Always the entrepreneur, he had a machine shop on the side—working on those foreign cars.
In 1980, tired of dirty fingernails, and wondering what to be when he grew up, he quit the business world for good, deciding it was all nonsense. He saw that the county “was pregnant ready to pop, and become a full-fledged arts scene. There was not much happening in the arts locally, yet I knew there were many good artists living here. Some knew how to market their work elsewhere but most didnʼt.”
Jones had a vision to promote local art, he founded the Bookstore Gallery which displayed museum quality one-man shows in Rohnert Park, and volunteered to help the Sebastopol Library to upgrade their annual arts shows. He also volunteered his time at the CMA, eventually creating a paid staff position as director of the fledgeling museum.
Besides displaying the work of nearly 250 artists last year, the community museum served an estimated 14,000 people. A lot of foot traffic for an out-of-the-way museum that barely saw 2,500 souls (artists included) when Jones came aboard in ʼ86.
In 1991, the CMA featured internationally renown local artists Morri Camhi, Frank Schueler, Judy North, Bill Morehouse, Raymond Barnhart, Charles Churchill, and others. The Sonoma Fine Crafts exhibit featured 22 artists, The Celebrate Sonoma permanent collection represented 20 artists, and at the California Small Works show Jones displayed 229 works from 189 artists (out of 679 entries from across the state).
Jones persevered even when the museumʼs future looked pretty bleak.“Sometimes it was just me fighting for the arts, why? Because I decided I was going to devote my life to the arts. Itʼs a magic county we live in, in that there are a lot of fine artists here who are not recognized in their own back yard. Iʼm a salesman. I know about merchandising, organizing, and marketing from working in the business world. Itʼs easy to show art, I said to the disbelievers letʼs just do it, and make it look professional.” His proof of success? The long list of thriving art galleries (40+) in Sonoma County,
and the steady stream of collectors who come to arts events and galleries to purchase local art. Jones says the county has become more sophistocated. He uses the museum exhibits to educate people—to expose them to the arts, and to give local artists high calibre opportunities to show their work.
Jones also attributes the museumʼs success to the broad-based community support. He is an advocate for accessible, not elitist, or academic art: “A museum is a community, not just for artists, but for the general public to enjoy. California contemporary art is exciting, itʼs accessable; thereʼs a history that needs to be recorded.”
Speaking of history, Jones would be happier of some of his earliest attempts at sculpture would just quietly rest in pieces. Jones whoʼd rather be remembered by his biodegradable paper pieces, disparagingly quips as if the cowboys and Indians were gaining on him: “There are still a lot of my bronzes of mine out there. A beginning artist probably shouldn't make bronzes because they last forever.”
He doesn't quite know what to make of aesthetics of the thief who stole two of his western pieces from the Christopher Queen Gallery display window one night. . . “You know, itʼs ironic, I hate horses. Give me a motorcycle any day; it doesnʼt bite or need to be rubbed down. You can ride it hard, put it away wet, and itʼs OK. ”
ca 1991, 1992—when? May?
No comments:
Post a Comment