Bio & Artist Statement
Jade Lowder was born on a reservation in Montana. He received his BFA in painting from Montana State University in 2012 and his MFA in painting from Washington State University in 2015. While attending both programs, Lowder connected with many of his fellow classmates creating collaborative efforts that have gone on to host gallery shows, experimental shows(such as a Drive-Thru Art Gallery and 24 hour exhibition), living room shows and figure drawing groups. His latest solo exhibition, Make Sense, was an exploration of space, pop-culture and identity. Currently, Jade resides in Bozeman, MT where he teaches Drawing and Painting at Montana State University and continues to make work and seek out new and exciting exhibition opportunities.
How we connect with space is a question that we must focus on and give awareness to if we hope to possess a broader understanding of ourselves. I believe that through painting and the examination of images and places that I find important, or inversely unimportant and banal, I can construct a picture of what identity is. By using the questioning of a metaphysical interaction with places and spaces as the focus of the work, the mediums act often as conduits for a larger conversation.
Painting exists in tactility. We feel the brushstrokes and the movement of the paint in our bodies, the painter’s presence is known through the interpretation of the act of painting. The ability to perceive touch through visual cues in an image forms a direct link between the viewer, the painting, and the painter. Beyond the basic tendencies of the medium of oil paint, whether the work is executed through drawing, acrylic or sculpture, that sense of touch is a constant focus in the work. Through this connection or conversation, the questions I seek to formulate are based in the development of a system of methods to contribute to the creation of identity.
Looking at images of spaces, places and people that we find important in our day to day lives, and by utilizing this process of communication through painting, I want to engage on multiple levels an investment in the spaces that I am interested in. Space can reveal much about our personalities and our perceptions of the world around us. We identify ourselves by where we are from—where we live and where we choose to spend our time. Our perception is directly tied in to our understanding of the self.
In contemporary life this connection has become even more strenuous with the addition of social media and constant instant gratifying distractions. Our perception of these places, that once formed a direct connection to our psyche, are now disconnected or are at the very least in flux. This question and disconnection doesn’t necessarily mean that we are losing our ability to connect with space, but it does mean that it is changing. My project, my work, my goal is to examine these disconnects in painting and by working with them in a process that is directly connected to a conversation between maker, image
