Artist Statement

I have always collected words by copying words and dog-earing books. And I drew. Working as a graphic designer, I wanted more choice and so taught myself calligraphy learning the historic styles. Drawing letters, I began making artist books.

From the words, themes will emerge and I match writers so that Walt Whitman can have a conversation with John Tagliabue; or what do I want to learn about the Constitution? I now write my own words as small marginalia adding my comments to the page. Working on unique handmade papers, I want to call your attention to these words by adding brush marks, woven shapes or illustrations. And binary code, how so much is read today in the patterns of 1’s and 0’s.

Besides the visual, artist books affect time and touch; time that it takes to turn the pages, to read and to notice. Touch in the feel of handmade paper as you open, unfold, turn the pages. My computer holds far more information but an artist book is an object to engage the senses and the mind.

Biography

Jan Owen is a calligraphic artist in Belfast, Maine. Her unique, hand lettered artist books contain lots of words. Born in NYC, she moved to Maine after college working as a printmaker and graphic designer. With the birth of twin daughters, she started teaching herself calligraphy and went on to study and then teach lettering and book arts.

Her artist book, Requiem, was a finalist in the Books that Matter prize at the Minnesota Center for Book Arts. Her book Wonder, was awarded Honorable Mention for the Stephen Harvard Book Prize by the Maine Baxter Society. She was twice awarded Maine Artist Fellowships.

Owen’s work is in the National Museum of Women in the Arts; Washington, DC; Jack Ginsburg Centre for Book Arts, South Africa; The Walker Library of the History of Human Imagination, CT; Portland Museum of Art, ME; Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, WA; Library of Congress and in many private collections and library Special Collections.

For many years her other interest was playing string bass with orchestras wherever she was living. The connection of practicing the bass and calligraphy are close and lead to the performance and the blank page.

Website: www.JanOwenArt.com
Instragram: @JanOwenArt

janowenart@gmail.com
Belfast, Maine