Guy Jones, a frequent highlight in The Art League gallery and fixture at the Torpedo Factory Art Center, is our July solo artist. His exhibit “Drawing Energy: The Logic of Madness” features pieces that defy the mold and structure of typical two-dimensional art and instead inhabit hollowed out turtle shells, holiday-ornament shaped bulbs, and even bones.

Jones evokes an organic and natural aesthetic with his work, often choosing to focus on the macabre or the mythical side of nature. He “concentrates on drawing the energy or spirit of things, evoking new life on the object of which it is drawn” he says. “When you look at it,” he adds, “it looks at you.”

Jones also draws heavily from his time working with a Cherokee elder shaman and exploring his Cherokee background. “Working in this way reflects the 20 years of ceremony and 10 years of study with my elder and shamanic teacher,” he says. “While walking in the healing way you learn that all things are alive with energy or spirit.” Cherokee imagery can be seen in Sky Vault, a piece that features crows and wafting dandelion seeds flying together, a reference to the Cherokee Indian belief that crows carry a departed soul to the afterlife known to the Cherokee as “Sky Vault.”

While Jones often incorporates natural elements including turtle shells, sand dollars, jaw bones, and skulls, his work generally stays free of color as he prefers to work in pen and ink. “After exploring many mediums,” says Jones, “I have always come back to pen and ink and the line.”

Jones describes this exhibit and his work as a “journey.” “Some are childlike,” he remarks, “while others leave a sense of uneasiness. But they are all gentle. My work is intended to be healing, so when you look into them they pull you in and you see the logic in the madness. The peaceful side of chaos… when you understand these things, you can look beyond the shadows and not be afraid. In this way, I believe my work is healing.”

If you’d like to hear more about “Drawn In: The Logic of Madness” from Jones himself and meet our new gallery director, Ali Wunder, sign up for our free event on July 26, “Drawn In: Taking a Closer Look at The Art League’s Solo Exhibit.”

Join us for the opening reception, Thursday, July 12, 6:30–8:00 pm.

“Drawn In: The Logic of Madness” is open through August 5, 2018.