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Editor's note: KSL.com does a weekly feature on artists in the community. If you have a painter, sculptor, musician or creative genius in mind, feel free to email your submission to jklopfenstein@ksl.com. Please include a contact email for the artist, if available.SPRINGVILLE — Most everyone has heard the expression, “Those who can’t, teach.” However, Jordan Brun, professional artist and Brighton High School visual arts teacher, is proving this idiom wrong.
Currently, Braun’s artistic endeavors focus on his innovative multimedia series, “GARISH.” He uses neon UV-activated spray paint, markers, acrylic, and oil paint, carefully layering the spray paint as the base with markers and paint, to create a unique piece that could be considered two separate pieces in one. The series presently focuses on portraiture.
“The images I create look one way under natural lighting, but in the presence of a UV or "Blacklight", the neon spray paint underneath changes the imagery entirely,” Brun said.
Inspiration comes from a variety of unusual group of sources from Internet memes, celebrity news, medical journals, television shows and cosplayers. One of the first pieces that led to the development of the "GARISH" series was inspired by eccentric actor Charlie Sheen’s celebrity antics.
“This inspired one of the earliest 'GARISH' pieces ('Eye of the Tiger Blood'), and I felt compelled to continue a series based off of high-contrast values and analogous neon colors,” Brun said.
Brun’s work also speaks to his own feelings of feeling like an outsider upon moving to Utah.
“I also felt out of place, living in Utah Valley at the time and being part of the (non-Mormon) minority. 'GARISH' sprouted from a deep-seated need to express myself visually and stand out from the conservative crowd that many outsiders see on the surface of Utah,” he said.
However, Braun didn’t start his art career as an innovative pop artist. His endeavors begin as a youth, and he explained he has “been a traditional artist for years.”
“I've been more experimental with combinations of materials to achieve my style. I've embraced the pop art style. With the proliferation of images in social media and digital formats, the visual artist has to find ways to have their work stand out from the photo-realistic and abstract media,” Brun said.
Experimentation is a central part of Brun’s creative process.
“I will attempt at least one new use of media in a new piece. I am slowly incorporating gold and silver leaf as well as acrylics as jewelry into my newer pieces, combining more and more of my smaller series, ‘Bling,’ into ‘GARISH,” Brun said.
Most pieces are done relatively quickly, but a recent project gave Brun a lesson on dedication.
“My largest piece to date has been the cast portrait of 'Stranger Things' known as 'Buds.' This monstrosity took me over 50 hours of layering and combinations of color blending to accurately portray,” he said.
Many artists have influenced Brun in his work, including Albrecht Durer, Anthony DiTerlizzi, Leonardo DaVinci, Frida Kahlo, The Gorilla Girls, Nicholas Gurewitch, Matt Wagner, Matthew Inman, Corita Kent, Keith Haring, Callahan, Glenn Fabry, and Bernie Wrightson.
“I am a fan of anyone who looks at life from a different angle. My family, especially, inspires me. My wife, Kimberly, for her dedication and passion. My daughter, Kendall, for her confidence and determination. And my son, Ian, for his compassion and heart,” he said.
As an educator, Brun appreciates the exposure to his student’s creative and artistic expression.
“I also have the advantage of being exposed to a variety of materials and inspiration in my day job as a visual arts teacher. Students — particularly young children — have less fear of being 'incorrect' and more will to use materials in untraditional ways,” Brun said. “Many of my subjects and techniques come from my encounters during the teaching and critiquing process with young people.”
Perhaps as a tongue-in-cheek play on that teaching idiom, Brun is organizing a January 2019 show called “Those Who Can’t.” It will showcase work from Utah’s visual arts educators from around the state at the Urban Arts Gallery in Salt Lake City. The show will highlight and recognize Utah’s visual art educators for their personal creations and their work with their students.
Brun’s work can be seen at a variety of Wasatch Front locations. His pieces are featured at the Urban Arts Gallery and the Young Artists Lessons in the Fashion Place Mall. Brun also is February's featured Murray City Hall Resident Artist. His murals can also be seen around Springville and Payson.
Brun, as one who “can” and one who “teaches,” believes in the value of visual arts.
"I truly believe that the visual arts are one of the more valuable endeavors one can dedicate their life to,” he said, “Everything we use in our daily lives is designed by someone, and the problem-solving skills gained by researching requirements for a client and adapting their expectations to your skill set and interests teaches growth and compromise.”
To learn more, visit https://www.saatchiart.com/jordancbrun.
Emily Howsley is an artist, photographer, and joke collector.
