External Sourcing

External sourcing is something that I typically use in conjunction with internal sourcing. I think is it hard to believe you can have one without the other. However, in my opinion, finding oneself in an external context takes something extraordinary. Like the artists in the article, a person must be extremely driven by an external source to produce a body of work from it. In some way all the artists in the article have a passion, a cause they have taken up or a truth they feel the need to reveal. It takes a lot of dedication to push those sorts of issues. I feel that in my own work, I am normally influenced externally by sights and sounds such as music, nature, landscapes and wind. I feel that I tend to be more internally driven, but after reading this article, I can see how being out and about taking in the world could be a good way to jump start my brain. In the future, I will be more aware of my surroundings. I think it would be good for me to feel a better connection to the outside world, perhaps in a way I have not felt before.

Sourcing Inspiration

Sitting here on my couch, it is hard to imagine how someone can be as inspired as the three artists in "Sourcing Inspiration". I personally have never been as in depth as any of those artists, and perhaps it is time to figure out why. I think in general this week, accompanied by this reading, has been particularly difficult for me. I have struggled, since coming to TCNJ one year ago, with what type of art I am driven to make. I have worked in many mediums and found some passion in a few of them, but nothing has really taken hold of me. I find that I am driven and engaged to do class work, but have little desire to do any work on my own. While reading "Sourcing Inspiration" I found the processes and ways in which the three artists approach their art to be inspiring. I have always believed that to be a successful artist, one must be passionate, no matter what type of art they make. Take Jan Harrison for example. Though I found her work to be a little disturbing, the ways in which she derives her images and the thought she has put behind them shows tremendous drive and inspiration. I must, in my own way, become this driven and passionate. I do not want to make excuses or dabble in things I know I have no passion for outside of class. So after a year of wondering, I have decided to return to the art of jewelry. It is the only thing I have ever had any drive to do on my own, so my inspiration, whether external or internal, lies there. I have not come to this conclusion lightly, and it may seem strange that I am writing this declaration in a response to a class reading, but it is a culmination of a year's worth of emotion, self doubt and lack of inspiration. So, the beginning of Thesis class and the the "Sourcing Inspiration" reading has officially broken me and I am new again.

Artist Statement

Hello, my name is Jessica Gebauer. I am a creative person and have been so since I was little. My artistic path became serious when I decided to attend Savannah College of Art and Design after high school. As a Metalsmithing Major, I explored my creative side mostly through the exploration of metalworking. Though I was required to take classes in other fields and have done well in them, I have been drawn more toward three dimensional work. In 2004 I left SCAD and returned home to New Jersey, where I work professionally for four years as a gold and platinumsmith for some of the regions finest jewelers.

Working as a jeweler I learned a lot about myself as a person. I realized it would be hard for me to work in the jewelry field for the rest of my life. It was not creative enough for me and also tends to be a male dominated field where female jewelers are not always respected. I also learned that I love for my hands to be busy. While working as a jeweler, my hands became very good at their tasks and I enjoyed letting them do what they know best. During this process my mind was able to relax and explore.

My art now is a bit all over the place. I am attempting to explore as many mediums as possible to find the right fit. I have done a few sculptures and installations that have been very successful and I hope to continue the process of self exploration through my art. I am still waiting to find the perfect combination of process and creativity, but the journey is half the fun. For me, art really is about getting to know myself better. I have no style, or subject matter that takes my fancy for every piece I do, I feel that, at least for the present time, the process is most important regardless of the medium or subject.