The Universe of Ben Jones
3/20/2024
Ben Jones, a beautifully talented artist and emeritus professor here at New Jersey City University, currently holds an exhibition titled The Universe of Ben Jones. Held at the Harold B. Lemmerman Gallery at NJCU, the show is a curation of multi-media artworks by Jones that touch on themes of politics, race, the environment, culture; narratives that explore a wide range of global issues. I am lucky to have gotten the experience to not only attend his gallery, but also meet and hear Ben Jones speak on his work and career. Upon meeting him, the first question he asked each of us was "what's your country?" Intrigued by this, I soon learned why he used this to lead into his discussion. The matter of culture and identity is so intertwined with social and political issues. Through his own connections and personal experiences, Ben Jones creates works that present the beauty of humanity as well as the confrontational truths pertaining social justice and universal challenges.
The Universe of Ben Jones displays an eclectic array of artworks spanning his six-decade long career, including works as recent as within the past couple of years. Among all of the creations that were in front of me there were a couple that I found most enticing. The mixed media piece titled Billie Holiday #1 (1998) depicts African-American jazz singer Billie Holiday in what looks to be a heart-shaped handheld mirror. The object and the image of her are decorated in what looks like paint and sculptural mediums. Because of what a powerful female figure Billie Holiday is to the black community, it is clear that this is a sort of ode to her. Using a photograph of her emphasizes the realistic During her career spanning the Civil Rights Movement, the music she created embraced identity, protested prejudice, and brought out a sense of community in people; including Ben Jones. Although this might not necessarily be considered a self-portrait by Jones, it is reflective of the contributing factors of who and what makes him the artist he is, as well as the awareness of history within African-American art.
Self-portraits (1980) is another series by Ben Jones that caught my attention while admiring the gallery. The series is made up of six oil on canvas paintings of the same dimensions displayed next to one another horizontally. Each painting depicts a close-up image of Ben Jones's face at different angles and wearing different head accessories. To me, his expression in the images is straight faced and fierce, and the viewer can notice there is struggle behind his eyes. Identity is such a prominent theme within Jones's work and there is a great connection with political and social issues. Jones is expressing himself from a perspective of someone who knows a history of political violence and racial discrimination. Recognizing the humanity behind these powerful eyes emphasizes the life the eyes have seen. The audience can identify a strong link between experience and self-expression in not just this piece, but a number of Jones's work.
It was inspiring to be able to attend The Universe of Ben Jones as well as listen to Ben Jones go into depth so passionately about the details of his work. Although retired it is evident that he continues to inspire and educate young artists everywhere. Whether he is traveling or he is local, he is spreading awareness, knowledge, and keeps creating at the age of 82. He remains a well known figure in the art community at NJCU as well as Willian Paterson University, the college he graduated from. I am grateful to be a part of this community and I hope to continue learning from artists like Ben Jones.
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