Jackalope Collective: Jillian Moore

Kicking off our final week of fundraising is my last artist interview with ringleader, Jillian Moore! Jillian participated in Sieraad last year, and came up with idea of a group showing of American artists. You can read more about how this project came out later this week in a curatorial interview with both Jillian and Rachel.

Education: BFA - Metalsmithing and Jewelry Making at Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL        MFA - Jewelry and Metal Arts at University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
 Lives/Works In: In a home studio in Iowa City, IA, where she does larger, sculptural pieces that are also wearable as well as smaller semi-production work, occasional commissions, writing and blogging, and teaching workshops on the resin surface applications she invented, as well as generally being awesome.

What is your work about?

 I'm very interested in biological forms, but more specifically, I'm interested in ambiguous forms that cannot easily be classified by origin or function. I'm always trying to investigate a space somewhere between humor and horror, while making them strangely appealing in the end. Color and pattern are also very important to me, and I tend to prefer surface work that is very time consuming.

What are you looking forward to most about Amsterdam?

I can't wait to get back, and I'm so excited to share the experience with everyone. There were so many people who became friends by the time I left last year, and I'm really looking forward to seeing them again this year. My trip last year was prefaced by Hurricane Sandy, and I'm really hoping I can fully enjoy some things that were lost to a tight schedule, stress, and sleep deprivation last year!

What artists inspire you?

Bruce Metcalf has been a constant in my work since I was an undergraduate. I really admire how he's pushed further in his work over the years rather than becoming static the way a lot of his contemporaries did. I've also always loved Kiki Smith, Terry Winters, and Yayoi Kusama. I've also been keeping an eye on a few contemporary makers along with those in our group. I think Nick Mullins, Mallory Weston, and Denise Julia Reytan are all doing amazing, fresh work that makes me want to do better to keep up!

What's the best advise you were ever given about being an artist?

It's a job. Clock in and get to work.

Any final thoughts on Sieraad?

I hope the American jewelry community will benefit in the long-term from what we're doing. I would love to look back at this as the first step in a new type of international conversation about our identities as makers, our relationship to the community we are educated and work within, and our function in the larger collecting community around the world.

In a more realistic, short-term sense, I am really looking forward to the reception of our group's work at the fair. I can't wait for everyone to get their work out and get going. The interactions I had with collectors, gallery owners, and the other makers was so satisfying. Getting to that point, and hopefully seeing opportunities start to come together for our group, that's what has kept me going through all of the planning and logistics so far. I can't wait!

Along with Rachel, Jillian organized our indiegogo campaign, and our top tier "Thank You" gift is a brooch with her super cool, self developed resin technique. These are limited production, one of a kind pieces, so you should check 'em out!

Thanks so much to Jillian for all she's done!