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Show 14B Moab Happpmngs April 1997 c Jerry Jaron by Rene Owen Ive arrived, is all Jerry said when asked if he plans to remain in Moab a while. This is quite a statement coming from a man who has been on the road for twenty I ; years. It was 1975 when Jerry Jaran quit his welding job, sold his in home Rice Lake, Wisconsin, and began converted school bus. travelling west in a back 40 roads miles per hour, Jerry at Ambling along had plenty of time to consider his mission. He wanted to live the in Southwest. He had to 30-fo- Jaran has, in one year, produced an impressive collection of works. Large enough to fill a small gallery, he has opened his own. Located at 1240 S. Highway 191 is Jarans gallery. The Cosmic Crayon. Have a seat. Stare at some of my artwork, he jokes, as I settle into a mod vinyl couch that curiously resembles a bus seat. I become absorbed into the calm atmosphere of The Cosmic Crayon. The warm room resounds with the thick drone of slow, electronic music. On top of wave-lik- e rhythms are layers of primal noises. The strange effect of this synthesized earthiness is mesmerizing. be an artist. on Life the western road was isolated and lonely for Jerry. But this was so not unexpected and he came to efijoy spending the time Staring at Jerrys artwork, I become relaxed. Simple geometric and freeform shapes slosh around the walls, floating on ancient relief surfaces. Each piece has one, or rock-lik- e inside his own mind. He would occasionally stay in towns long enough to gain employment or learn a new skill. For example, in 1976, Jerry learned flowed bronze jewelry. Hav ing been a welder, the small torch work must have seemed a cinch, and he loved the spacey look" of this jewelry. He managed to stay afloat by selling this work from an outdoor booth in Estes Park, Colorado. In Santa Fe, New Mexico, the Shidoni Metal Art Foundry employed Jerry as a wax dresser. Hisjob was to clean up other artists sloppy work, as he sometimes more, colorful, glossy shapes on top of, or imbedded in, a roughly textured surface. Each is a juxtaposition of future and ancient, refined and rough, push and pull. Yet the effect is masterfully harmonious. This minimalist style is very psychological. Jarans intention is to bring us back to a source Jerry was opportunity primordial consciousness, harkening back to when humans were as animals. on his own sculpture in time, and a beautiful work titled Being of pure consciousness. For me they have a resemble the They simplest of animal life, that asexual of reproduction and single celled -- creatures -- - so simple they are difficult to relate to without achieving the deepest of meditation, bringing one in touch with the individual cells of our own flesh. Cracks in objects appear as if theyll either slow ly float from each other, crack and split again, or like an amoeba, the larger shape will eventually join with its counterpart. Yet the shapes are too geometric to be amoebas, too shiny and futuristic to be natural, and instead of floating on an ancient earth of water, they are on a sea of rock. Thus, Jaran demands our modern attention, challenges the mind, and maintains a human dichotomy.. Because these works are it was awkward discussing their subject matter. Jerry responded to some of my questions with little more than a yesno answer. But when the conversation came around to materials and technique, he lit up. The creative process is obviously very liberating for Jaran. He enjoys artistic technologies and has found immense excitement in creating his own medium. The textures and look of Jarans artwork is like nothing i have ever seen before, and I encourage you to see them for yourself at his Cosmic Crayon Gallery. Jarans personality, his music, his artwork, his life, are coordinates of the same experience, anachronisms of both time and space. As Jerry described his work and life, I imagined him in his bus, a timeless being quietly floating across d the southwestern landscape. His speech is clear and slow, his descriptions vague. Jarans voice says, Im no longer searching for a style. His calm disposition simply says, "Im no longer searching. time-erode- , managed to throughout all those years of travelling. It wasnt until 1983 that Jerry picked up a paint brush. He painted figures and landscapes for a couple of years, then switched to abstract subjects until 1986. To my horror, Jerry told me that he burned most of these paintings. Thankfully, he had recorded them as slides, because they are a testimony to a natural talent. A Private Club - for members only SPORTSMAN'S LOUNGE 1991 South Highway 191 LIVE MUSIC EVERY WEEKEND Country Music at its Best to stuff a sign studio in his van and spent the next ten years travelling from one small town to another picking up sign commissions. Unless a town had a lot of work to offer, he generally stayed only three days to three weeks, at the most, in one location. Eventually, he happened upon Moab, Utah. Not only did he identify Moabs booming economy as a profitable sign market, but its unique geography, sandstone cliffs and craggy canyons perfectly coincided with the style of artwork he had brewing in the back of his mind all those years. At the age of fifty-onJerry Jaran found his home. And not one moment has been wasted since his arrival. Drawing upon all his prior emotions, experiments, conclusions, and technical training. e, Next to Cattleman's Restaurant & Dar-- C Truck Plaza T |