Today we’d like to introduce you to Jerel Dye.
Jerel, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I was born in the Midwest where I spent the first half of my childhood, and then spent my teenage years learning how to be a New Englander. I believe I have an interesting blend of traits owing to these culturally different parts of the country. Artistically, I went on a fairly circuitous route to get to where I am today. My interest in art began, where it does for a lot of young boys, in drawing, comics, and illustration. From there I got interested in fine art in college, which morphed into animation and film/video art post-graduation. I went to grad school at MassArt, and through their unique SIM program I was seduced by performance art and live video, and really learned a lot about myself and the art world in the process. Soon after, I worried that my work was becoming too esoteric so I decided to pull back to the thing that originally got me interested in visual art and that was drawing and comics. While in some ways it felt a little bit like starting all over again, I do feel that much of my work today is informed by all those other artistic pursuits. I also feel the practice of comics-making and the kind of drawing I do now is more in line with my personality and the type of life I want to live. A quiet one, spent mostly in my small studio space, creating drawings, inventing scenes, and telling visual stories.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
These days I feel I have found myself in an interesting place that sort of straddles the line between illustration and fine art. On one side I make these drawings of fantastical abstracted science fiction objects, referencing vehicles, robots, and all other sorts of science fiction imagery. These drawings are largely done stream of consciousness but are really rooted in formal elements in line, shape and color. And on the other side I want to tell stories through comics. This makes up the bulk of what I do, often just because comics are so massively time consuming. I am mostly interested in science fiction type stories, building on a foundational question of “what if…?” and sometimes pulling from the imagery I develop in my other art, but not always. I think with all of my artwork I’ve really tried hard to hold onto a childlike sense of wonder, but still ask mature questions and look to challenge my audience in different ways.
Have things improved for artists? What should cities do to empower artists?
There is so much more entertainment and art at our fingertips than ever before in all of human history.
It is also easier than ever to get your work out there to potentially be seen so the competition is really stiff. In this age of quick swipes through a never ending stream of easily digested images fine art is in a challenging place. So often good work requires more of its viewer. It asks people to slow down and really look and take time to ponder what they are seeing.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
Well, the easiest way to see my work would be on my website or Instagram page. I really try to keep them both up to date with new work and glimpses into my process, showcasing finished pieces, sketches, and the occasional process video. And of course buying a piece of artwork or a book online is a great way to support what I do. You can also find some of my comics in shops in town and beyond. I am also in regular attendance at various comics and art market shows in the extended New England area and beyond. You can see a list of upcoming events on my website.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://jereldye.com/
- Email: jereldye@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jereldye/
Image Credit:
Jerel Dye
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