Jesse Reno Interview

Jesse Reno, Artist Statement – July, 2008
know your destiny
exert your energy and know who surrounds you
when it comes from within, it is easy to see – when you can
resonate your purpose without words
pyramids force hearts to lay on their sides – they have built
many pyramids to create debts and demand our attention
leaving our hearts on their sides – lessons and skeletons
walrus boy
they will show their intentions
permanent markings will always remind you
they will try to take it all little by little
there was a face in the mountain power, energy and
connection all come from many directions
pay attention to your growth there is no escape from yourself
no words – much can be told by the measure of one’s circles
they will talk to you as though you have never grown
moving forward with all you got
many things will attempt to block your spirit
i am looking for the ghost of a buff alo gone long ago
i was a ghost looking for a buff alo who had been killed long ago
now his horns grow from my shoulders
a wise chief once said question what you see not that you see it
we must remain focused while waiting for thunder
integrity and truth
ideas grow like a tree from his head
deer boy relinquishes snake
the diff erence between ignorance and irrelevance
be mindful of your steps when there are snakes in your path
especially when they cannot see you
blind snakes are very dangerous
the difference between a stone and an egg – one will hatch
it’s best to forget yesterday and focus on today
sometimes meaning is not translatable
he grew legs to walk and then gave them up to swim
learn to let go we crawled from the sea a very long time ago
those who threaten are not friends
running above the ground – evolver
he grew branches instead of looking for a wall to sit on
looking back as you move forward
believe
if the indian ghost dance failed i doubt we can raise the dead
when balancing skeletons pushes your head to its side
waiting for tomorrow
like meeting your potential
two bears search for direction – connection above all else
cherish

Jeanmarie Simpson: I find your statement at once incredibly bleak and quite hopeful. What and where is the well from which you draw your inspiration?

Jesse Reno: My inspiration comes from my process mostly, along with all I see and experience. My statement is basically the titles of all the paintings in my book [We Must Remain Focused When Waiting for Thunder] in the order they appear in the book, along with any additional writing that may be in the paintings weather visible or not. I write all the things I write and paint over on the front of my paintings on the back as well. In the end, the combination of composition, posture, animal character, and the words tell me the meaning or story of each piece. By this, I learn a lot about myself and my ideas. I push myself to just let things come out — changing directions and ideas in a piece until it feels right and looks right. The story is as important as the visual look of a piece to me. There is a moment where it’s just all right. As for bleak and hopeful, to me, that is the world, constantly showing me its two sides. Everything is like that. It’s all what you make of it. For me, over all and in the end, my work is true, balanced, and positive. The statement starts with “know your destiny.” This is most important — you have to know what you’re trying to do to accomplish it. So many people don’t try, so they don’t know, so they never accomplish. It’s fear, a lack of motivation, or clarity. If they pushed it, I’m sure they could find it and accomplish it. It’s not easy, but it is attainable. Other key lines or things to remember when looking through the bleak are that it’s all about knowing what surrounds you, dealing with it, changing it, overcoming it — this is my purpose and choice. Always pushing forward. Most of life is searching and pushing for connection with the things you love and desire most. Cherish these things; remember their importance. Grow with purpose and you will be very happy with yourself, regardless of what happens around you.

JS: Your work is so disturbing. Do you ever seek to change that?

JR: To me, my work is not disturbing at all. I think it’s a lack of understanding or the side that is hard to comprehend that disturbs people. I’m not sure, since I don’t see it that way. I had a friend say it was that people see things they can’t understand as a process abstract but full of its purpose, and things like that often scare people. I don’t know. I just find the work to be true. This is what I shoot for — personal truth of what I see and think. I could probably explain better if you let me know what it is that disturbs you about it. No offense taken or intended, I’m just not sure I understand.

JS: I think what you’ve said is very illuminating. As a peace activist, I admit to an extraordinary affinity with your War and Greed series. It feels like my nightmares about the militarism and hatred that I feel drive the world today. Do you get a lot of positive response from activists and/or Left leaning people?

JR: All that work is pretty old at this point — a very different time for me. You feel it as it was intended for sure. I did the bulk of it right after the Patriot Act was signed, so it felt very intense scary and dark to me. I got responses in all directions. For me, it was the best way to exert

my feeling about that time. At this point, I seek to express things in a way free of politics, still with intention, ideas, and influence. I just like a more open, no divisible approach. I see things like this better to connect than divide. Better exemplify than argue. Arguments lead to nowhere but fighting or silence. If someone is to understand, it is better to explain something free of sides than choose a side. Or take a personal stance that is open. I like to use ideas that are loose and applicable to many situations and positions so each person can get their own idea and make it meaningful to them.

JS: How do you work? What is your process?

JR: I work quick, random, direct with intention or the understanding that I have no direction in a moment, jumping from idea to idea building layers, deconstructing, reconstructing, and seeking imagery that is meaningful to me. I work on five to 15 pieces at a time, usually working every day in quick sessions rotating from piece to piece. This keeps them all fresh and free from getting to caught up in any one idea, or holding onto ideas or images that need to be painted over for the better of the piece or the new idea. In the end, the pieces become a combination of ideas and intentions thoroughly edited down to their truest meaning, and most of all filled with the feelings that guide their creation.