When Sonia Reeder-Jones was growing up in Bronson, she was always struck by the artwork hiding behind the pulpit at the local Methodist Church. The painting was by a woman named Bessie Mattox, and left the young Sonia repeatedly wondering just how she had done it, how she had captured so much detail in the face of the figure. It seemed completely alive, providing her the same sense of amazement one feels when viewing Reeder-Jones own work today.
Much of Reeder-Jones art utilizes soft colors, sky-blue and graphite-gray, in order to create a portrait scene where eyes reach out to powerfully grasp the viewer. She is especially interested in highly technical images of women and girls that strive for incredible realism. I just believe in young girls, Reeder-Jones said. Im passionate about them. I want to see them succeed.
Of the themes and subjects of her work, one of which to make special note is when Reeder-Jones depicts young girls inside cardboard boxes having to adjust their posture. As she put it, sometimes youre boxed in by your opportunities, your geography. I dont want the girls in our area to have limitations.
Despite a concern for women and girls, Reeder-Jones is less interested in making a political statement or provoking certain feelings than in the development of skill and technique. Her drawings feature a classical approach where the aim is accuracy. In contrast to many modern and contemporary artists, Reeder-Jones states, sometimes youve made an error and thats all there is to it. Being off merely one-eighth of an inch is sometimes all it takes to require starting over.
But it is this incredible attention to detail, she suggests, that is necessary to inspire the viewer. In her words, there are different ways of trying to create a sense of awe, to provide a sense of the sublime. Reeder-Jones hesitates to claim her own work is awe-inspiring, but it is hard not to sense ones breath being taken away while locking eyes with a figure who genuinely seems to be looking back, despite only being a drawing. In her work, the female gaze is undeniable, piercing, and inescapable.
This is also why Reeder-Jones uses the specific media that she does: pencil, charcoal, and pastels. They factor into your ability to do it, she explains. They help to bring about the effect of feeling alive, seeming real. Though beyond attempting to bring about a sense of reality, she prefers to let viewers make up their own minds about what her work might mean.
Reeder-Jones is highly encouraging of other artists, claiming anybody can develop this skill. She realizes people often have difficulty believing that they can make art, that they are afraid of other people seeing them fail. But in response she says you have to be willing to draw bad and paint bad. We just have to keep going.
The opening reception for Sonia Reeder-Jones is Saturday at the Bowlus Fine Arts Center in the Mary Martin Art Gallery. The exhibition will run from Saturday to Feb. 16 and is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. every weekday.
Following the exhibit opening on Saturday, the Bowlus will feature the Fred Moyer Jazz Trio. The box office opens at 6 p.m. and the show begins at 7. The New York Times writes: First-class His playing is clean, unmannered and full of ideas and intelligence.
Tuesday, Jan. 21, the Bowlus will feature the Fry Street Quartet: American Womens Composers. The box office opens at 6 p.m. and the show begins at 7. The Washington Post remarks: Their balance, blend and rhythmic cohesion work beautifully.
