Jen Worden - Mixed Media Artist

Jen October 24th, 2007

Last October I received an email from the indomitable Sylvia Luna aka Silver Moon aka PS I love Steve wondering if I would be interested in participating in an Edward Gorey inspired collaboration creating an ABCDery based on Gorey’s "The Gashlycrumb Tinies". Would I?!?

Apparently, due to unforeseen circumstances an artist had to drop out at the last minute and Sylvia was hopeful in finding a replacement  that would not only be interested in playing but could do so with less than a month to completion. The task:  an 11 x 14" artwork based on the letter assigned that included a rhyme a la Gorey and artwork to correspond. The letter assigned to me: "U". U? Yup. U. Okaaaay.

Always up for a challenge I started thinking of all the U type words - not difficult given the macabre nature of the originator - undertaker, ulcer, ugly, undead, underwear. Oops! No hardship there. Coming up with a name that started with U? Not so easy. In fact, the only one I could think of was Ursula which didn’t entirely lend itelf to a "dark and stormy night" atmosphere!

I knew that I wanted to use a photo of a headstone in my piece likely as an image transfer so I set out to visit some of our local cemetaries. Guess what I found at the very first one? A stone marked with the name Urban D. Jodrey. With the magic of Photoshop I was able to take out "Jodrey" and enlarge Urban D. and created my image transfer. The rhyme came fairly quickly after that - a few words shuffled hither and yon and I had my final draft:

Under the Gravestone, Urban did rise
Eagerly anticipating, His evenings’ prize…

Once the main piece was done, it lacked a little something. I wanted it to be more 3 dimensional and I had all this rusty barbed wire kicking around…including a piece with part of the fence still attached. I added that to one side looping the wire around and behind the canvas board. A bit of faux cobweb later and I was done. I packed it off with a few days to spare and waited to see the forthcoming pages that we would receive in return. Further there was talk of an exhibit of the entire 26 canvases.

 

The pages arrived and while lovely  I knew these would have to be seen in Real Life to truly reach their potential. Still beggars can’t be choosers right?! I basked in the knowledge that others would indeed be able to fully enjoy them when the show opened at The Paper Studio in Tempe AZ. 

Sylvia and Pilar Pollock at the opening at The Paper Studio, Tempe AZ

Further the collaboration was going to be featured in the October issue of Somerset Studio. Along with an interview with our intrepid leader, Sylvia, in the Melange section, they featured 5 full colour pages of Gorey Goodness. Alas! Urban wasn’t included but it was exciting to see it in print anyway!

 Click on each to see the full view!

The show then moved on to The Artist’s Nook in Fort Collins, CO for an October opening and three of the artists Tiffini Elektra, Lisa Hoffman and Sarah Fishburn were able to attend the opening - in Gorey style!

Friend Raine was also able to take in the show and took this photo of Urban. Thanks Raine!

The enthusiasm for this project continues as more venues are being talked about along with a book. Stay tuned for more Gorey DeTales!!

 

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Participating artists

A is for Alistair - Thomas Wynn
B is for Bat Boy - Lynn Whipple
C is for Cordelia - Kelly Snelling
D is for DellaJane Salley
E is for Eloise - Richard Salley
F is for Finola - Pilar Pollock
G is for Gustav - Lynne Perella
H is for Hortense - Angela Petsis
I is for Iolanthe - Marie Otero
J is for Jenny - Jen Osborn
K is for Kaligula - Celine Navarro
L is for Lolita - Nancy Donaldson
M is for Milton - Karen Michel
N is for Naberius - Deryn Mentock
O is for Oletta - Sylvia Luna/Silver Moon
P is for Prue - LK Ludwig
Q is for Quinn - Marylinn Kelly
R is for Rachel - Lisa Hoffman
S is for Safronie - Sarah Fishburn
T is for Twila - Tiffini Elektra X
U is for Urban - Jen Worden
V is for Violetta - David Caspar
W is for Winnie - Katherine Brown
X is for Xavier - Bernie Berlin
Y is for Yardley - Thomas Ashman
Z is for Zed - Ramona Ashman

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