Constellations COMPLEMENTING
THE UNIVERSE OF BEN JONES
Bombastic, 2023 Acrylic and pastel on canvas 48 x 48 inches Collection of the artist
RAY ARCADIO // Whenever I am asked, “Who influenced your work the most?” my answer is always, “Ben Jones is my Yoda.” His words and spirit are always with me when I create. I imagine him standing next to me as I step back for a better look. He’d say, “Hmmm . . . uhumm . . . YESSS!” or “Let it come from here,” pushing his index finger to my chest when it needed something more, or his animated and uber positive “FABULOUS!” when it was complete. At New Jersey City University, he put me through a strict regimen of drawing exercises and social history lessons. He taught me the value of character and the importance of hard work regardless of my economic circumstances. His teaching instilled in me a confidence and an outlook toward life that has shaped who I am as an individual and an artist.
In many ways, this image is the culmination of my present exploration of dance photography. I used an iPad instead of a 35mm camera and then edited the image with photo-creating digital imagery. I call this new type of photography iPadology.
JOSEPHINE BARREIRO
His persistence and passion for teaching along with his genuine care and interest for who I was and where I came from propelled my creativity and talent because he insisted that I not rest on my laurels. Ben Jones single-handedly changed my artistic trajectory, guiding me to where I am today. I paint and draw the way I do because Ben’s philosophy taught me to embrace my culture, ethnicity, and ancestral instincts.
Ashe
RAY ARCADIO
Cat Devouring Bird, 2018 Acrylic, spray paint, oil stick on canvas 48 x 48 inches Collection of the artist
Ben’s influence didn’t stop after graduation. We kept in contact, and he continued to guide my career by recommending exhibitions around New York and New Jersey. I also had the honor of exhibiting alongside Ben in several shows. Being invited to partake in this retrospective fills my heart with joy, and I would be humbled to have my work included in his universe again. Thank you, Ben!
GIANLUCA BIANCHINO Mechanical Landscape in Broken Violet, 2022 Acrylic and found objects on wood 26 x 38 x 6 inches Collection of the artist
GERARDO CASTRO Proudest Blue Boy, 2022 Oil on paper, mixed media 72 x 30 inches Courtesy of Ethan Cohen Gallery
JOSÉ MANUEL CRUZ No ResiSTANCE!, 2019 Oil on canvas 40 x 30 inches Collection of the artist
ORL ANDO CUEVAS Four men in a bar, 2021 Photo print on aluminum 32 x 24½ inches Collection of the artist
GERALD GLOVER Miss Amanda Smalls, 2016 Oil on canvas 14 x 11 inches Collection of the artist
TROY JONES Mwari, 2023 Oil on canvas 30 × 24 inches Collection of the artist
HEEJUNG KIM Stars at Night, 2022 Wood, pins, paper, acrylic ink on wooden panel 12 x 12 x 2 inches Collection of the artist
JOSEPHINE BARREIRO // My work revolves around the human/animal condition in all its complexity. My surroundings provide endless inspiration. Using mixed media and techniques such as drawing, painting, collage, and street art, I bring my ideas to life via a visceral approach. Illustrating both real and imagined situations, I layer vibrant colors, bold lines, and intricate patterns to realize my ideas. My work delves deeply into powerful themes: spirituality, anxiety, strength, transformation, resilience, and raw emotions.
GIANLUCA BIANCHINO // This work represents a set of wall sculptures dealing with surface tension in both two- and three-dimensional form. In general, I attempt to contain chaos in an ordered aesthetic, bridging themes of scientific inquiry with autobiographical references. Mechanical Landscape in Broken Violet reflects upon forces of nature generating movement, harmony, contrast, and tension. The experimental quality of my art practice has its roots in the teachings and encouragement of Ben Jones, who, during the late 1990s and early 2000s always supported my tendency to expand my artistic vocabulary through fearless exercises that began in two dimensions and extended into the threedimensional maze of possibilities. The versatility of Ben Jones’s paintings and three-dimensional objects that rely on lyrical pictorial qualities was always a point of reference for me. Later in our careers our interests overlapped as Ben embarked on a series of large-scale watercolors inspired by the universe. In this series he managed to connect his broader, empathetic view of nature with themes of spirituality and social and political discourse. It was a source of motivation for a series I began exploring about 2010 that has shaped much of the work I have produced since then. I feel enormous gratitude for having Ben not only as a mentor and teacher but also, and especially, a surrogate father with whom I cherish a loving and supportive relationship.
GERARDO CASTRO // As a contemporary Afro–Puerto Rican artist, I strive in my work to illustrate the multiplicity of the Afro-Caribbean experience by addressing issues of colonization, queer history, ritual performance cultures, and gender. I create constellations of elaborate, glittery, unmistakably Black and emphatically brown figures in environments that are steeped in magic and the spiritual. My work acts as a reflection of my cultural, social, and political reality. My use of color is not passive—it’s a form of resistance, it’s intentional, it’s a political statement, it’s a language. Perhaps it is the reconnecting to my roots, the blending of the spirit and physical worlds, ritual, and transformation that ultimately will define my art, and that philosophy resulted from Ben Jones’s influence on all the roads I’ve walked in my career.
JOSÉ MANUEL CRUZ // Ben is an activist for all. No ResiSTANCE! was created to symbolize the amount of resistance that we as people of color must take in the total racism that we see, witness, and experience is this free country we call America. The greatest country in the world to so many but built on racism. The subject is muscular to show that no matter how strong and perhaps intimidating you look on the outside, it does not mean anything in the eyes of a racist.
ORL ANDO CUEVAS // As a teacher, Ben played a crucial role in shaping my artistic expression. He instilled in me the importance of developing an artistic language. This vocabulary helped me to communicate my message effectively, as I was able to express complex ideas through simple yet powerful symbols. Ben’s encouragement and influence also inspired me to explore new mediums, textures, and applications that further enhanced the meaning and impact of my work. His insistence on forced perspective pushed me to experiment with techniques and approaches, enabling me to create more dynamic and engaging pieces. Ben championed my work by connecting me with important artists, curators, and collectors in the contemporary art world. I was thus able to showcase my art to a wider audience and establish myself as a professional artist. Ben’s pedagogy was rooted in a life philosophy that emphasized persistence and continuous improvement. He never let me feel complacent in my accomplishments and always encouraged me to strive for more. His mantra, “Fabulous, now make 1,000,” challenged me to keep growing and creating even when I thought I had reached my limits. While Ben did not inspire my subject matter directly, his influence can be seen in every aspect of my artistic expression. I am forever grateful for his mentorship and for the impact he has had on my artistic journey.
TROY JONES // Ben Jones has been my mentor for the past thirty-plus years. He is the one I go to whenever I have a problem in my career. All the work I produce is heavily influenced by Ben Jones.
MANSA K. MUSSA The Brothers Stand Ready for Change, 2023 iPadology collage printed on fabric with mixed media 36 x 44 inches Collection of the artist
MUSTART
(IVAN PE TROVSKY) Sublime, 2022 Spray paint on canvas 48 x 48 inches Collection of the artist
OROCORO
(ANTONIO CORO)
HEEJUNG KIM // I respect Ben Jones for his openness and willingness to listen to people from all backgrounds. He has always been an example of how we can use openness to bring people together and create a better world. I am grateful for his guidance and inspired by his life philosophy.
MANSA K. MUSSA // Ben Jones and I were born in Paterson and lived on Harrison Street during the 1950s. Our parents are from South Carolina, and they came to New Jersey during the Great Migration of the 1940s. They left the South in search of warmer suns and the prospects of living a life without the presence of Jim Crow racism. We met during my senior at Weequahic High School in Newark at a lecture organized by my art teacher Nette Forne Thomas, and the first time we exhibited together was at the Paterson Museum in 1982. The exhibit featured the work of artists born in Paterson. When I was his student at New Jersey City University, he introduced me to traditional West African dance. I forged a career as a concert dancer and teacher for the Alvin Ailey Arts in Education Program, Dance Theatre of Harlem’s Summer Intensive, Gallman’s Newark Dance Theater, The Hudson Repertory Theater, and other dance entities. In 1980 we co-founded Sulaimaan Dance Company with the late L. Sulaimaan Wilson. Our dear friend the poet Ahmasi Llyod passed away last year, and I gave Ben a ride to the Langston Hughes Library in East Elmhurst Queens for his memorial service. While there, we witnessed a performance of “Angels” by Gallman’s Newark Dance Theater, a company I photographed for more than forty years.
Throughout a complex relationship that has spanned fifty years, Ben has been a teacher, mentor, advisor, friend, uncle, benefactor, art godfather, and international travel buddy. African spirituality, history, dance, art, and ancestral reverence are at our core. We have both learned to live with a particular style of joie de vivre, and we love all kinds of people!
MUSTART (IVAN PE TROVSKY) // Oh, man, Ben Jones . . . where do I begin? Ben leaves an impression on everyone he meets, and as my professor at New Jersey City University he left a mark on my artistic upbringing and development. Ben’s uniquely humorous yet stern approach to education and development of one’s skills was both straight to the root and a breath of fresh air. No time to dillydally, no time to waste or to get lazy, only hard work will pay off. Even though those six-hour courses could be overwhelming, I loved every moment of Life Drawing and Color Theory. With Ben as the ship’s captain, every class session was an expedition filled with discoveries, breakthroughs, and new-found knowledge to apply at home. If I had to give an example of a passionate human being, Professor Jones would be in my top ten. And he truly demanded that same passion in return. He spoke with his students as if they were his children, which drove me crazy at first, but I quickly realized that this person really cared. He didn’t care about you getting good grades but rather about you figuring yourself out and whether you had what it takes to make it as an artist— not a hobbyist but a full-time artist. In a way, Ben’s unique approach was a test of your presence, passion, and ambition. That was important, and I am passionate about my career in the arts. If the teacher’s role is to inspire and elevate your state of being and consciousness as a student, then Ben Jones did just that.
OROCORO (ANTONIO CORO) // I was a student of Ben Jones’s at New Jersey City University. In 1984 I took Mr. Jones’s Drawing and Composition 2, and that class had such a powerful effect on me—it changed the trajectory of my artistic career. That semester we did self-portraits every week, which really helped me to go inside. Almost forty years later, I am still drawing myself and peeling off more and more layers. Ben Jones was not only a great teacher and friend, but I also consider Ben part of my family.
JOSÉ PARDO // I think we all learned a lot from Professor Ben Jones. He taught the technical aspects of creating art; my drawing and painting skills improved drastically under his guidance. But the most important things he taught us were the attitude, work ethic, and mindset of being a professional artist. I still hear his voice when I’m at the easel, urging me to be objective about my work, to push my skills beyond their limits, and to always strive to create the best art piece I can. I consider myself fortunate to have had him as a teacher and an inspiration.
MICHELE A. POPE // The title Sarama’s Pups hints at the Hindu goddess and acknowledges the mythology and symbolism surrounding the dog. A ubiquitous symbol that has appeared in different traditions over thousands of years, the dog connects us to our past just as readily as my work now connects me to the foundational work I did with Ben Jones. In Sarama’s Pups, the dogs help direct and connect the traveling soul with Sarama, the goddess who will ultimately help with the transportation of the soul’s journey to another incarnation or place in time. The Vendidad says that en route to heaven the soul will meet the goddess with her dogs. The chosen colors, while intuitive, can also be an indication of a place that is otherworldly since they do not reflect what naturally exists. I think of Ben as someone who worked hard to elevate us all. While most of my time spent with Ben was as a student working hard to meet the demands of his rigorous and strict requirements, I was constantly inspired and empowered by his tutelage. It’s natural to learn from and trust someone who is so impassioned about a subject, someone who wants to impart knowledge—a secret, in a sense. For me, this secret was that of light—that is, color. Collectively, we can all agree that Ben’s color theory class was an integral component of the art department at New Jersey City University. In the Vedic texts, the Sanskrit word for “guru” means dispeller of darkness. Therefore, I think it’s safe to say that we can elevate Ben Jones to guru of color, or maybe he’s like Sirius, the brightest star in the sky, the “dog star,” helping those under his guidance to navigate.
LUCY ROVE T TO // Composition was a major theme in Ben Jones’s Drawing and Composition class. Ben challenged me to push a composition further, to move the viewer’s eye throughout a piece. He made me understand that composition is an action word using the tools of line and color. To this day I love the challenge of pushing and pulling a flat design into a work that vibrates with movement and energy.
DANIELLE SCOT T // The breeze carries the laughter of children as they tumble and twist and run, swing and slide outside. I hope that for a while longer they don’t need to sense the grim reality of brown and Black boys and men being killed, removed, displaced, disregarded, hated, neglected, and brutally tossed aside as if they are not necessary in this world. As a mother of two beautiful boys of color, ages twenty-one and six, I fear that one day they will call out my name and I won’t be there to protect them. My wildest dream is that they believe that their dreams are not wild, unrealistic, or inaccessible. I want them to BLOOM into who they are, to be seen as gentle, loving, caring, kind, and generous human beings. I want their light and beauty to be embraced and nurtured by the world rather than feared. In my current ongoing series Black Boy You Are the Universe, Not an Unwanted Weed, I depict Black boys, their beautiful, brilliant blackness laid out against the vast inky infinite black of the universe from which they are descended. In this series, both the universe and the boys are adorned with dandelions. I want both of my boys to remember all the wishes that they made blowing their innocent and hopeful breath against dandelions and all the times that they gave me these beautiful, magical yellow “weeds” saying, “I have a gift for you, Momma. Please make a wish.” Both these “weeds” and these boys are often misinterpreted as nuisances that need to be plucked. Yet, my wish for them is always the same, a long lifetime of wishes that continuously come true for them. This series and ALL my art is an offering to adorn the world with what is true and reflective of the times—both beautiful and ugly, quiet and contemplative, loud and provocative: art that evokes emotion and elicits the conversations that are necessary to fuel social justice and transformation.
Constellations William Paterson University, Court Gallery, Ben Shahn Center for the Visual Arts October 16–December 8, 2023 New Jersey City University Galleries January 27–April 3, 2024 We are continuously grateful for the commitment and support of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Midori Yoshimoto, Ph.D., Director
Casey Mathern, Director Nadia Estela, Gallery Coordinator Ben Shahn Center for the Visual Arts University Galleries, William Paterson University 300 Pompton Road, Wayne, NJ 07470 (973) 720-2654 universitygallery@wpunj.edu www.wpunj.edu/coac/gallery
New Jersey City University Galleries 2039 Kennedy Boulevard Jersey City, NJ 07305 (201) 200-3246 www.njcu.edu/community/center-arts/galleries
Designed by Melanie Roberts Edited by Pamela T. Barr Printed by AJ Images
I still believe, 2016 Charcoal on stained paper 39 x 15 inches Collection of the artist
JOSÉ PARDO Birth of Venus 2.0, 2016 Oil on panel 24 x 18 inches Collection of the artist
MICHELE A. POPE Sarama’s Pups, 2022 Acrylic, oil, paint stick on canvas 66 x 44 inches Collection of the artist
LUCY ROVE T TO The Handoff, 2019 Charcoal, ink, acrylic, paper collage on wood panel 46 x 42 inches Collection of the artist
Artists were invited to submit work that reflects Jones’s
Ben Jones mentored and influenced the seventeen
influence. They were also prompted to describe how
artists featured in
Jones inspired their subject matter, symbols, and materials;
Josephine Barreiro, Gianluca Bianchino, Gerardo Castro,
their own instructional pedagogy; their personal or artistic
José Manuel Cruz, Orlando Cuevas, Gerald Glover, Troy
trajectory; and their philosophy on life. Together, these
Jones, Heejung Kim, Mansa K. Mussa, Mustart, Orocoro,
works and words create a record of artistic lineage.
José Pardo, Michele A. Pope, Lucy Rovetto, Danielle Scott,
This exhibition complements The Universe of Ben Jones, a collaboration between William Paterson University and New Jersey City University celebrating the American artist, a 1963 graduate of William Paterson and a New
Constellations: Ray Arcadio,
and Bisa Washington. Their community of practice—working in parallel universes of their own creation—extends four decades and thousands of miles beyond Jones’s northern New Jersey orbit.
Jersey City University professor emeritus. This Mellon Foundation—funded collaboration is centered around the Jones retrospective at William Paterson University Galleries, on view from September 5 to December 8, 2023. Both
DANIELLE SCOT T You were given to the universe by a King, 2023 Mixed-media collage 36 x 22 inches Collection of the artist
BISA WASHINGTON Sango Shrine, 1980 Mixed media 21 x 18 x 14 inches Collection of James and Kamili Mtume
exhibitions will travel to New Jersey City University Galleries, where they will be on view from January 27 to April 3, 2024.
Constellations