Cover Art

On the Cover | Apr. 28, 2011

learn about this issue's cover art by Jenna Ruder

“Dirty Sox” by Jenna Ruder
(2011, charcoal, 20” x 30”)

Jenna Ruder
 
Jenna Ruder

“I am absolutely in love with objects, ordinary things that people don’t tend to notice. Dirty socks, old wrenches or rubber bands, I like to play with these objects like characters on a stage: manipulating their form, lighting, texture and color in the hopes of achieving personality and emotion. I arrange them within a setting in which shadows, placement and relationships, are as important as the objects themselves. I use this language to communicate my understanding of the human experience through the use of these very common items.” – The Artist

 

What we were thinking: “The Dirty Sox charcoal drawing featured on the April 28 issue was created by local art teacher Jenna Ruder. We discovered this wonderful drawing at the ArsWest juried exhibit in the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library this past winter. The drawing was chosen for three reasons: simplicity, technical execution and "theme." The three socks depicted vertically break this composition up into what's known as the rule of thirds. The slight diagonal orientation on the vertical plane is eye catching and very striking. As the viewer peers closer to the artwork they will notice the precise detail throughout the drawing. Lastly, the theme is perfect for this time of year, it's perceptually raining and dreary outside for the month of April (generally speaking), which produces a tendency for socks to get saturated, and thus individuals are inclined to leave them lying around their house..” – V1 Designer Josh Smeltzer

Volume One finds its cover art in a number of ways, from local art shows to random emails to knowing someone who knows someone who knows a great artist. The art always originates from a current or former Chippewa Valley resident. If you'd like to submit cover art, send us a letter.