Jan Owen
Belfast, Maine

Jan Owen works on handmade and patterned papers to create panels and books. Her multifaceted work combines her love of color and line, music and poetry, medieval manuscripts, and Asian calligraphy. She grew up in New York, and received a BA before studying calligraphy and book arts. She played string bass with a symphony for many years, and her visual work echoes the rhythm and layering found in music. Her work is in galleries throughout the country, and she has received several Percent for Art Commissions in Maine. Her work has been acquired by the Library of Congress, the National Museum of Women in the Arts, and many universities and private collectors.

Website: janowenart.com

To Name

To Name. To tell the world to see the world you have to name it. Language is the vessel and the messenger of our ideas. Alphabetic, symbolic or binary code notations connect us to each other over centuries. Our words weave us together. To Name is a hanging scroll that can also lie down. The translucent fabric allows the layers of code to be seen in the many ways we share our thoughts.
Sumi ink, pen and acrylic on Hollytex polyester, mounted as scroll.
21 x 13.5 x 2 inches; 53 x 34 x 5 centimeters (unrolled). Created 2015.