VIRGINIA — Traditional Americana, according to artist Bethany Jackson, is shiny Studebakers and maple tree-lined streets.
“That’s not what I ever really related to,” she said on the Wednesday, July 5, "Area Voices" segment on the KAXE Morning Show. “So, I thought, let's make some Americana for some people in my life.”
Jackson said while rural America’s portrayal is often reduced to pretty, red barns, the full picture is more complicated, with people often living below the poverty level. The Aurora, Minnesota, mixed media artist described her work as “weird, gritty and grungy,” with broken-down vehicles and people clearing snow from their roofs.
Carl Jung said it’s not the isolation that makes us lonely. It’s not being able to be understood.”Bethany Jackson
Her work is on display beginning Thursday, July 6, as part of an exhibit “Honest Americana” at the Lyric Center for the Arts in Virginia, Minnesota. The organization and its art gallery are located in the 1912 Lyric Opera House.
Jackson began as a photographer, where she said she learned composition. Now she works in other mediums, including watercolor. She begins these paintings with an ink wash and a glaze of red, blue and yellow.
“The ink started off as a safety net,” she said, “because in watercolor it dries lighter.”
Often, the painting in watercolor ends up a different color than expected.
“It’s like three tones lighter than it should be, but if I start with that base of ink, it kind of saves you the three primary tones,” Jackson said.
Some of Jackson’s work in “Honest Americana” depicts fish found in northern Minnesota lakes.
“The pike were actually from the aquarium in Duluth,” she said. “They’re kind of creepy. Pike in general, you know, they’re predators.”
When asked about what a place like the Lyric Center for the Arts means to her as an artist, she said, “It helps you build your career, and the more small places I can get into, maybe I can get into the bigger places and more urban areas and share our stories.”
Jackson said she is committed to telling real stories of rural America.
“You know, Carl Jung said it’s not the isolation that makes us lonely. It’s not being able to be understood.”
“Honest Americana” will be on display at the Lyric Center for the Arts in Virginia throughout the month of July.
