J.Jamolod

Born: 1969.

Nationality: British

Education: Glasgow School of Art 1987-1991.

Discipline: Fine Art,Sculpture

Movement Influences: Cubism, Fauvism, Automism, Abstract- Expressionism, Op-Art, Colour-Field, Modernism.

Interests: Psychology and Spirituality.

Present Location: South Korea.

Brief Early History

Art school shaped my life because after it ended my life improved!

Initially it totally shocked me because it seemed that the focus wasn't about your skill as an artist it was all about how you verbally expressed yourself. I wasn't prepared for this being eighteen years old and having never seen a Double Decker bus before! I was from a small town on the West Coast of Scotland who spent every waking hour perched in a draughty room trying to paint like the, 'old masters!'

High School art was all about developing a skill, something that you could be graded on, not about developing concepts. Art School wasn't enjoyable for me but I accept full responsibility for that. I was terrible at defending my work as it was difficult to explain why I was doing it. I didn't know that you needed to have a reason. Knowing myself was the biggest problem as my art was all about passing an exam.

After spending years developing my figurative style at home I realised that Politically the Art school didn't want me. They were much more interested in the Movements of the time, their theory and developing clones of previous Contemporary Artists. However after graduating Art School in 1991 my life was much more positive.

As an individual at Art School the 'real me' hid behind my skill of painting representational subjects. I was good at it. However it didn't seem to connect me to who I really was. Being afraid of yourself stops you experiencing joy and love but it took me a long time to realise that.

After art school I didn't paint for about twelve years but I lived my life and experienced many things on my travels. I grew as a person and one day I decided to paint. It was amazing and I was surprised. What came through me on to the canvass was nothing like the work that I had done before. I felt that I really was expressing myself. Somewhere along my life's experience I must have let go.

I remember thinking to myself, "I don't care, I only need to please one person. Me."

It gave me joy because it felt good and I realised that I was free. You may ask yourself, "Well how did she do that then?" The honest answer is that I'm still trying to work it out. I don't know what the mechanism is. So all I can say to those of you who need to be inspired is, it's ok to be yourself. Embrace your individual voice and don't be afraid!

After all Kandinsky wasn't.