Jan Groover – The formalist who celebrates life
Jan Groover was born in Plainfield, New Jersey in 1943. Ms. Groover pursued an art education, receiving her BFA in painting in 1965, from the Pratt Institute in New York and later received her Master of Arts in Art Education from The Ohio State University in 1969. After teaching art in high school and then at the University of Hartford in the early 1970s, he turned to photography. Although she experimented with a variety of styles and visions, she is perhaps best known for her still-life images of common objects, kitchen utensils, plants, but taking pictures of herself with vibrant colors and larger-than-life close-ups. life. She received grants from the New York State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Ms. Groover enjoyed a wide variety of artistic expression. The larger-than-life images of her photography found expression in platinum-palladium print, images exaggerated with brilliant color and luminosity. She liked to write and published “Pure invention: the table still life” in 1990. He also taught at the State University of New York College before moving to France, where he now lives.
We don’t know exactly what led Ms. Groover from a formal art career to photography. She is quoted as saying, “With photography I didn’t have to invent things, everything was already there.”
I was originally drawn to Ms. Groover’s photographs for their vibrant color and larger-than-life imagery. In her life, there is a marked departure from photographs that represent movement, time, speed, and color to what is perhaps best known for the simple, everyday objects found in the home. One review says that she “turned to her kitchen sink” for new ideas. Many of her photographs show kitchen utensils, knives, forks, and other items found in the home, such as bowls, plates, or houseplants.
His photographs were taken with a 4×5 view camera. His photographs highlighted and illustrated his influence and allegiance to formalism. A favorite photograph of mine, “Entitled1979. JG #95.2′”, has a combination of shapes, curves, and lines that is almost hypnotic, and yet when I first looked at it, it was easy for my imagination to see so many other things. I see shells and ancient ruins and wares of a Roman triumph. Perhaps this is an expression of Mrs. Groover’s alignment with formalism. Any shape can captivate.
Does any form have rewarding qualities? Does any form have special details when we take the time to observe? The image above accentuates the silver and yet we see the tarnish turn into iridescence and reflected reflection.
“According to Groover, the meaning of the objects is not important; only the shape, the texture, and the shape that falls into a particular space is important.”
What a wonderful tribute to a female photographer and a tribute to her art. Her ability to share and see the enlightening quality in the simplest of things speaks volumes about her vision. When reviewing Ms. Groover’s work, it’s easy to mistake some of her photographs for her prints. The photographs of her possess some of the ‘larger than life’ color and detail…of a print that was privileged with further editing. According to one writer, “Groover makes pictures that are interesting not so much for what they show us as for how they show us these things.”
Ms. Grover’s artwork can be easily found on many websites, but the images referenced in this article can be viewed at:
http://www.janetbordeninc.com/artists/Groover