Jo Moore --Romancing the Stone

Estancia, NM, United States

About Jo Moore --Romancing the Stone

New Mexico native, Jo Moore, is one of those rare lifetime studio artists able to cross boundary lines, working in multi-dimensional disciplines. Her compelling sculpture draws on inspiration from nature, displaying uniquely rich surfaces, exploring the inherent tension of the elemental forces contained within the stone. Listening to the spirit of the stone, the song of the stone, Jo typically allows the stone to suggest its sculptural form, often “daring” it to an extreme, if it will allow. For more than forty years, Jo has explored artistic themes in Stone, Bronze and Oil on Canvas. Sought after both nationally and internationally, her work graces such collections as that of Spain’s The Duke of Albuquerque; multiple public installations within the collection of the Albuquerque Bio Park, including the Bronze Entry Gateway, “Deserts that Bloom in Fragrance and Flower” depicting more than 1000 cast Bronze Botanic elements. A lifetime of works round out numerous Public Installations, among them The University of New Mexico, with multiple two and three dimensional installations, and The College of Santa Fe Outdoor Sculpture Collection. ---“I share a deep bond with Mother Nature and have been interpreting her landscapes and culture through sculpture and painting for more than 40 years. There exists no separation between the creative process and daily life. For me, they are one. My work is my solace, my meditation, my serenity. When I am working, with a clear mind, I am still. I am the vessel quietly relaying a stoic energy, lightly, effortlessly. Mine is a visual language, employing a visual vocabulary. My gestures remain constant with my perceptions. I believe you must not only see a painting, a sculpture, you must feel it as well. Even when working on a canvas, first I sculpt the image…then I paint it. A life-long studio artist, my recent concentration is on three-dimensional (textured) canvases with a brilliant color palette that creates an emotional response for my viewer. With contemporary and abstracted themes at the foundation, I use countless layers of texture and impasto with potent hues to create a sculpted surface exuding raw energy. My canvases are in effect relief sculptures, adding depth, casting shadows over the sculpted surfaces within the composition. All works are gallery wrapped or museum profile with painted edges, sealed, acid-free, and archival.”--- Jo’s connection to Nature and its inhabitants is evident in her large body of works concentrating on Contemporary and Abstract sculptural forms with organic lines predominating. Striving to convey a sense of nurturing and compassion for the plight of both the planet and its inhabitants, her work reflects her lifestyle---simple, uncluttered, optimistic. Serving as an affirmation of the living, the work reflects the essence of the here and now and the effortless joys of daily life. Often introspective, often meant to evoke serenity, reverence, meditation--- her work possesses soundness of line, elegance of form. Often her pieces are primal, stoic, visceral, meant to touch the heart. Jo, along with sculptor, Jan Moore, own and operate their own studio in the Ponderosa Pine-studded forest in the mountains south of Santa Fe.

Education:

BA 1977 University of New Mexico