Jerry Jordan: Together Always Our Spirit

Since his first visit to Taos at age nineteen, Jerry Jordan was “captured” by the land, sky, and indigenous peoples of Northern New Mexico. “I will never forget the feeling of awe,” he says. “I remember taking a deep breath and thinking, ‘How would I paint that?’” Six decades later, Jordan remains in awe with each colorful canvas conveying his oneness with the common threads uniting people across time and place. This insider’s look at Jordan’s career highlights times of agony and defeat, chance encounters, divine interventions, and periods of great creation and acclaim. It’s an inspired tale in which Jordan reminds us that we are all “riding on the back of hope, pointing our face toward our dreams … and walking our destiny with the God-given talent placed in our DNA.”

Often compared to art by the fabled Taos Society of Artists, Jordan’s paintings are distinguished by loads of paint, vibrant pigments, animated brushwork, pulsing patterns, and titles that speak to the soul. According to Elise Waters Olonia, “Jerry’s paintings break down the barrier between the viewer and what is being viewed. In essence, his work is experiential, as if he is speaking through color and texture. He also creates a sense of depth and dimensionality, almost as if he’s sculpting his paintings. You feel as though nature’s elements are a part of you in his brushwork. He also walks a fine line between the historic and newly envisioned present.” Jordan’s message is to never give up on your dreams. “Artists will stumble. They will fall. What’s important is to keep pushing forward and to use each failure as a steppingstone,” he says. “If the mountain were smooth, you’d never be able to make your way to the top. Those ledges on steep climbs afford the necessary footing to make your way to the summit, where you can enjoy the rewards of the climb.”

Author’s Bio: Michael Clawson is executive editor of Western Art Collector, American Art Collector, Native American Art and American Fine Art Magazine. He also hosts the podcast, the American Art Collective. Prior to joining the magazines in 2013, Clawson was an award-winning journalist and photojournalist in then Phoenix area.

Published by FrescoBooks / SF Design, llc

Printed by OGM Printing in Padova, Italy