Meet Artists Jane Maxwell and Jana Cruder Thursday at JoAnne Artman Gallery

Submitted by the JoAnne Artman Gallery:

"The Jane & Jana Show" Featuring Mixed Media Artist Jane Maxwell and Fine Art Photographer Jana Cruder

Meet the Artists Jane Maxwell and Jana Cruder, Thursday, September 5th from 6-8pm @ JoAnne Artman Gallery! JoAnne Artman Gallery 326 North Coast Hwy.

The "Jane & Jana" Show featuring Boston based Mixed Media Artist Jane Maxwell and emerging Fine Art Photographer Jana Cruder! What a great pairing: both Jane and Jana's work reflect a current examination of pop culture’s take on femininity, grounded within the 50's and 60's.  Jane's mixed media work is perfection, constructed with architectural, fashion and "old school" elements emphasized through color and form.  Jana's photographic storytelling showcases her unique voice and personal interpretations of female iconography…who doesn't love Barbie!

Jane Maxwell's artistic voice grew out of a passion for vintage materials, modern fashion and design - mingled with a deep fascination for pop culture and female icons. In the late 1990's she studied mixed media at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and at the Decordova Museum School in Lincoln, Massachusetts

Jane's work largely focuses on women, body image and the feminine ideal. Her collages are deeply layered works, combining color, texture and text that surround and become the female figure. Jane's art is shown in major galleries throughout the country and has been collected by art patrons around the world. Recently, Jane was selected to be included in the 30th anniversary edition of 'Who's Who in American Art.' She has been a guest lecturer at Wellesley College, Stonehill College and The New England Art Institute, on the topic of body image and art. Her work has been the focus of numerous newspaper and magazine articles and has been featured in many art books, including Collage for the Soul (Rockport Books) and Mixed Media Collage (Quarry Books).

Jana Cruder, born and raised in western Pennsylvania, fell in love with photography in her early teens. Jana’s dad built her a darkroom where she spent countless hours teaching herself how to process and print film. She went on to graduate from the prestigious photography program at Rochester Institute of Technology. There, Jana learned the technical side of creating imagery, and after college moved west to start on her own studio.

In Jana's series “Great Expectations,” Barbie becomes ‘Working Barbie’ and Ken enters the story. Since the economy is down, Ken who is un-employed assumes the role of ‘Domestic Ken’ and spends his time entertaining himself at Barbie’s expense. As Barbie gets deeper into her career she notices Ken’s increasingly distracted. Conflicted himself, he finds he enjoys spending his time with his new BFF Joe. The story of these three plays out through a series of vignettes into the subtle dysfunctions of seemingly perfect relationships. This is an exploration and examination of the importance of appearance and how the societal roles of woman, man, husband and wife are learned and how the influence of today’s media and culture shape us through icons such as Barbie and Ken.

All of our artists' work will inspire, provoke, engage and mesmerize.

JoAnne Artman Gallery is located at 326 N. Coast Highway in Laguna Beach and is open Wednesdays-Sundays from 11-5, and by appointment. Visit the first Thursday from 6-9 pm of any month to coincide with the Laguna Beach Art Walk. Street parking is available directly in front of the Gallery as well as the Downtown Parking structure located at Glenneyre Street. Take a stroll through the galleries and studios. See art come alive in North Laguna!