Artist Profile: Marc Jenesel

Artist Bio

Marc has drawn his whole life and it seems that for most of his life, all he has wanted to do is art. He started showing his pencil drawings and intricate pen and ink drawings at art fairs when he was 14. He became enamored with the sculptural world in college, which opened new worlds for him in art and design. He spent the next 30-plus years working in visual media of one sort or another, from technical illustration done in ink and gouache, to photography, video production, set design and implementation and sculpture. With the advent of the computer age he branched out into computer-generated art, illustration and design and 3-D animation.

When he met Karen Pierce, a whole new world of fiber opened up for him and the collaborative work that they do together. He returned to the world of ceramics and learned about the realm of weaving. Combining these with his previous knowledge of 3-D art and design has opened new and wonderful worlds to explore.

Artist Statement

I have always been involved in the visual arts in some form: video, photography, illustration, sculpture and printmaking. At the same time, much of my education is in the sciences. I've always felt that art and science run parallel courses: as science has become more abstract and "out there", so has art. I think that to have a well-rounded education in the arts you must also study the sciences.

I worked recently as a graphics artist and animator, immersed in the virtual world of computers during the day. Then I went home and threw clay, "played in the mud". They are at opposite ends of the spectrum. I create vessels that I fire raku. Here science merges with art as I research how to obtain the range of color from the glazes, through chemistry and post-firing reduction. I love the range of colors and textures that are raku and I am just now scratching the surface of possibilities.

For several years I have been creating raku pieces that I alter and give to Karen, who furthers the piece by attaching spokes and weaving dyed fibers and other materials into a woven sculpture. I try to avoid "art directing" her work, which requires trust and giving up my attachment to the final product. I'm very thrilled with this process of collaboration and I believe it has resulted in an unconventional and elegant union of clay and fiber.