We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jordan Binney. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jordan below.
Alright, Jordan thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?
I started seriously getting into painting when I was a sophomore in high school. I realized painting was what I wanted to focus on when I was going through a lonely time in my life and the painting I was working on was the only thing that got me up in the morning and kept me going. Throughout my remaining time in high school and the beginning of my time at SCAD I focused on learning the techniques of painting from art history so that later I could focus on finding my personal style. Which now is what I’m exploring through acrylic and oil paint. I have learned that I need to let my mind slowly work through a painting rather than plan out all the details. More like an additive process kind of like a dance with the painting.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
My personal mission through my practice is to make lasting works that make my viewers think and reflect on their personal experiences promoting change. It’s my idea that there would be no point for me to create artwork if it didn’t mean something. I’ve been exploring the marriage of realism and abstraction within the same space. I consider how I intend my artwork to promote change as something I am most proud of. I want my work to make people look inwards and question themselves and their own actions. I do this by using color, line, composition, and subject matter. Every part of how I execute a painting goes into how the final result will feel to the viewer.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
It’s very prevalent throughout my portfolio that I use the human body as my subject matter often. I do this to promote vulnerability when viewing my work. As humans, it’s the easiest for us to relate to each other. There fore I like putting the most relatable subject matter in my pieces. We are the most vulnerable when we are nude which is why I use nudity in my work, to promote the feeling of vulnerability. My main goal in doing this is to confront the social idea of what nudity is and how we except the human form. I think it shouldn’t be as stigmatized as it is throughout society. Everyone has a body, we look at ourselves every day, what makes looking at other people’s natural form so complicated? I want to tear this stigmatism away. The human body is more than just what we live in, it’s an art in itself. I strive to make my viewers pivot their perception of the body away from a sexual point of view and accept it more for what it naturally is.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
Art is so important to keep alive and moving. The best way for society and non-creatives to support the art industry is just to lean in and try to understand. It’s less about understanding and more about the process of learning and diving into a work of art. Just showing that one is interested and wants to learn the narrative behind the artist’s work shows support. One of my joys as a painter is helping people see how every part of a painting is intentional to the process and the story, the best part is seeing the look on their faces when they finally understand the work of art for what the artist intended it to be.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jbinne20.myportfolio.com/work
- Instagram: @jordanizb
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzyLyDRHYHWLTvLyGcRoGQw
Image Credits
Sarah Eaves