Jane Jun received her M.F.A from the University of Missouri in spring, 2014, and her B.F.A from Towson University in 2011. Her website is : http://janejun.ye.to/
How would you describe your current work, and your studio practice?
My current work focuses on the vigilant awareness of self-presentation. All portraits of me with jocular facial expressions reveal my own ceaseless attention to my appearance in public. Using representational images of myself taken from online social networking sites, I work from four different approaches: acrylic paintings on clear Plexiglas, digital drawings, animated images using the graphic interchange format, and longer format animations built in the computer from drawings and paintings. A critical view of reclaiming my own unique identity – one that does not rely on stereotypes of the Asian female in the United States – is presented in my work.
My studio practice is pretty simple. I teach art classes from 6 to 9 p.m.. After teaching, I come to the studio and paint (or research) until 5 in the morning. I am a night owl and most of grad classes start after noon. It is important to know what schedule works for you.
What part of art-making do you like or enjoy the most? The least?
The most enjoyable part of art-making to me is sitting down with my work (after making a bunch of paintings) and thinking about what is actually happening. Critical thinking (processing/understanding) after spontaneous action (making) is something that I've learned and gotten used to while I was developing my thesis work. The least favorite part of art-making is coming to the realization that what I am making has become redundant. That moment comes rarely though.
What artists are you looking at? What are you reading, listening to, learning about related to your work?
I am looking at many artists’ works that deal with identity, more specifically women’s, racial, and/or intersectional identity. Cindy Sherman, Iona Rozeal Brown, Nikki S. Lee and Kehinde Wiley are the ones I always look at. I am reading "The forms and Things Unknown" by Herbert Read and "On Ugliness" by Umberto Eco. These books are not directly related to my current body of work but it will influence my work sooner or later in some way. I believe that whatever I do is a learning experience and this awareness facilitates art-making.
Can you tell us about your life before coming to Towson, and how you decided to study art?
After high school graduation, I decided not to go to college immediately, working instead to earn money for travel. I wanted to travel because I had this desire to keep the excitement of going to new places that I felt when I first relocated from South Korea to the United States. So I would work, earn money and travel until all my money was spent. I did it for seven years and then all of the sudden, I felt like I needed to get a college degree to get a better job - so I could make more money to travel. That is why I attended Towson University. I wasn’t thinking about majoring in art until I was lured into the art program through the foundation art course taught by Laura Amussen taken as part of my general education requirements.
Two paintings from Jane's undergrad years:
Two paintings from Jane's undergrad years:
What aspects of, or experiences from your time as an undergraduate have been most useful or important?
Art and art history professors I met at TU are really enthusiastic. I admire their passion to teach you all of this great art history and art theory. Also the studio facilities at TU are fantastic. I was lucky to have my own studio space in the CFA for two semesters. It was the most important time for me to build a portfolio to apply for grad school. I've spent so many nights working on my paintings in the studio. My work ethic came from that experience.
What has grad school been like?
Grad school has been a tough love for me. Getting a masters degree in art means constantly reevaluating and researching every little thing happening in my work in order to have a clear and direct communication with my viewers. This process definitely helped me to solidify my idea but there were many tries and failures to get to that point.
You've been teaching while in grad school-- what have you taught and have you enjoyed it?
I taught a 2-dimensional design class for two semesters and now I have been teaching a drawing I class for four semesters. I am truly enjoying teaching art classes because I can offer my students a safe place to practice and discuss their ideas without worrying about being judged. Interacting with students with different backgrounds in class is also fun because my students (as well as I ) learn a lot from various ideas that others bring in to class.
What are your plans post-MFA (short-term or long-term)?
I am planning on going back to South Korea after graduation and teaching art classes there.
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