Q & A with creature comforts artist Jes Reyes

In preparation for creature comforts, we reached out to each artist to tell us more about what gave them joy and solace over the past year:

In 2020 we spent more time with ourselves than most of us have in our entire lives. Have you noticed anything new, surprising, or novel that you feel comfortable sharing with us? 

Jes: I found that I can collaborate with other artists without ever being in the same room with them! I prefer in person, face to face, but what I noticed is that there are many resources we can use to stay connected to other artists. I used Zoom, email, Google Drive, and the good old fashioned postal service to continue my work and it helped me feel less isolated. This included creating over 20 mixed media pieces of art with my friend Kiera Faber as well as completing a short experimental collage film with Tess Nordstrom, a composer who scored my silent film. It didn’t surprise me that these resources would help me. It surprised me that I never thought of using these resources until a pandemic forced me to! I never felt alone because of this. I feel very lucky to say that.

Were there any repetitive processes that stood out to you over the last 16 months? Either in your artwork, or in your daily life?

Jes: I didn’t notice a repetitive process in my work but I did notice that I slowed down a bit, both in my daily life and in my artwork. I spent more time with a piece than I had before, sometimes spending a month or more on something. This has helped me stay focused. I even have a sign now in my studio that says, “This is what I am working on right now.” It helps me stay focused as I used to work on projects simultaneously. I still embrace that approach in my art practice but I am using a sense of calm now as well as a form of direction when I work, and this helped me while managing such drastic career changes related to COVID. 

Where have you found wonder in your daily life? 

Jes: I find so much wonder by being around other artists. I love seeing what others are working on and connecting over what brings us joy. I find wonder in having a daily doodle practice too. I love to just make a mark on paper and see where it goes from there. I find looking at the art of Joan Mitchell and Helen Frankenthaler sparks my curiosity. I could just look at their work and wonder all day! Their art is inspiring to me! 

Music is universally linked to our lives, serving as a safe space for our thoughts, a distraction, a routine, and a space for comfort. Music is especially tied to the formulation of memories. Tell us about songs that you found yourself playing on repeat over the last year. Was there a song or artist you were drawn to, especially while sheltering in place and while social distancing?

Jes: I listened to The Magnetic Fields, The xx, Siouxsie & The Banshees, Spoon, Waxhatchee, Angel Olsen, Lizzo, David Bowie, and Echo & The Bunnymen a lot in 2020. 

Is there a song that you feel best represents your experience over the last 16 months? 

Jes: David Bowie’s “Changes.”

Is there a song that never fails to lift your mood? That brings you comfort? 

Jes: Cindy Lauper’s She’s So Unusual. The whole album can uplift and comfort me right away! Her cover of Prince’s “When You Were Mine” is my favorite and makes me so happy. 

Any other music you think of in relation to this exhibition?

Jes: For some reason I also think of Boston’s “More Than a Feeling” when I think of this show…and these questions! :)