Jones' multisensory art ingeniously weaves connections between Minimalism, music and the Black avant-garde
This volume explores the interdisciplinary practice of Hudson-based artist Jennie C. Jones (born 1968), which moves viewers through both visual and auditory engagement. Aurally altering the spaces in which her paintings, sculptures and installations are on view, Jones' work encourages viewers to anticipate sound even in the quietest of environments. As she explains, "I always say [the artworks are] active even when there's no sound in the room; they are affecting the subtlest of sounds in the space—dampening and absorbing even the human voice."
Conceptually, Jones' practice reflects on the legacies of modernism and Minimalism while underscoring the connection between Minimalism and music, illuminating the influence of the Black avant-garde. Bringing this multisensory experience to book form, Jones unites documentation of recent exhibitions—including Dynamics, her expansive show at the Guggenheim Museum (2022)—with excerpts of text, poetry and conversations to create a "score" that reveals the layers of Jones' artwork. Part artist's book and part primer, this lyrical volume unfolds in movements, like a printed and bound evening of poetry, prose and music.
