Third Street Gallery archive: 2003 Exhibitions: Obsession Management by Jeff Jordan

Provocative collage-inspired paintings by North Coast native Jeff Jordan are on tap October 4 through November 2 at Humboldt State University’s First Street Gallery in Eureka.

The exhibition, titled Obsession Management, is a survey of Jordan’s work from the past 15 years. The collage series comprises multiform images, cultural iconography and bold, colorful design. Using acrylic paints and airbrush, Jordan compiles disjointed images to create a new pictorial experience.

His objective is to confuse, mystify and “stir things up” for viewers, encouraging them to think about the world around them. He loves any reaction he can evoke in observers, whether positive or negative, as long as his work triggers some type of emotion.

Jordan makes his works with well-crafted, realistic imagery depicting very fanciful, unimaginable situations. For instance, giant barnyard animals in pedestrian scenes are the subjects of a recent series.

Observers of these works crowding the walls of his studio might feel they have stepped into a salon where images from some other world are recorded and displayed. By virtue of Jordan’s intense study of classical styles and his facile ability to draw and paint photo-like images, his paintings seem to confirm the existence of these inventions borne of his fertile imagination. Within the body of his work lie two distinct phases, collage and “American Mythology.”

Among the influences Jordan cites on his work are Rick Griffin, Northern Renaissance painting and the 15th century Dutch artist Hieronymus Bosch (Jerome van Aken). He says the life-long literary influence on his art is the U.S. experimentalist and fabulist author Thomas Pynchon. Jordan is a well-known and active contributor to the North Coat art scene.

A public reception for the artist will be held during Eureka Main Street’s Arts Alive! on Saturday, October 4th, from 6-9 p.m. The exhibit is produced by the interns of the Museum and Gallery practices program at Humboldt State University.

First Street Gallery is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 5 p.m., and is located at 422 First Street, Eureka, California. Admission is always free.

For more information, call 707/443-6363. School groups are encouraged to call ahead for tours.