by Suzanne Daub
This Friday, August 23, the Gallery at Four India on Nantucket is hosting a remarkable art show that celebrates both familial ties and artistic innovation. The gallery will feature the works of mother and son, Joanna Kane and Geddes Jones, in a captivating exhibition entitled Lineage, on display through September 2. This marks the first time Kane and Jones have collaborated on an art show featuring just the two of them, and their combined talents promise a unique and vibrant experience.
Joanna Kane, a celebrated painter who has long called Nantucket Island home, will be showcasing her colorful abstracts. Her work celebrates inspiration and is characterized by vivid hues and dynamic forms. Each piece invites viewers into a world where color and shape dance in a joyful, almost symphonic display. Her artistry is a testament to the power of abstraction to convey emotion and energy, and her local presence adds a layer of personal significance to her work.
As she once stated: “painting stimulates the hider, the seeker, and finder in me. I am all three at once in the timeless hours of painting. It is my goal through multiple layers of paint, patterns, shapes, and colors to create a backdrop active enough to hold the viewer while the abstract drama unfolds.”
Geddes Jones brings an artistry distinguished by his diverse talents and dynamic style to this gallery show. Although Geddes was born and raised on Nantucket, he now lives in New York, where he balances his time between drawing, painting, and his work as a respected tattoo artist. Known for his artistic precision in tattooing, Geddes’s paintings contrast with the meticulous nature of his tattoo work: his paintings are characterized by a free-flowing style full of color and movement. The energy in Geddes’s work reflects his ability to channel fluidity and spontaneity, resulting in pieces that are vibrant and emotive. Kane refers to her son’s fine art work as “windy.”
Joanna Kane grew up in Connecticut and studied drawing and painting at the Art Institute in Kansas City. She first came to Nantucket 40 years ago to help a friend, and she never left. “The softness of the air is what engaged me…that and the light,” Kane explained. “I always wanted to live on an island: now I have a life as an artist on an island.”
Her abstract compositions are a way to communicate without a specific intention: when creating art, she explained, “you have to put your ego aside—it wants be be the director—better to follow your unconscious. We must hold on to that which does not tell us to do anything.”
Kane described her artwork in the show at Gallery at Four India as a different from some of her other work: “they’re all dots, and they are layers…There are many different ways to make a mark: the dots are just another way,” said Kane. She calls the work in this show The Garden Series. “I was feeling burned out so I decided to garden instead…I found markers that Geddes left…I was packing them up and I got inspired. The colors were so vibrant! I picked them up, and I was so wide open because I was waiting to be called—I did not want to force anything.”
Raised immersed in the arts (both his parents are artists), it’s no surprise that Geddes Jones now has a career in art. “I was supported in my painting and drawing as far back as I remember…I was always drawing—’90s tribal tattoos in high school… sharp line work and calligraphy. My stepbrother came home once with a tattoo, and I couldn’t wait to turn 18 and get one.
“I never planned to be a tattoo artist. I was in Chicago, and my friend was getting a tattoo… I went to check out the tattoo place,” he explained. “I brought my portfolio with me, and he had me tattoo myself (to feel what it is like) then he hired me and taught me the fundamentals. He got me in the door, and that changed the trajectory of my life.”
Geddes describes his painting as “totally different from my tattoo work. In painting I am free to do whatever I want…a lot of pattern and vibration…I’ve heard it called ‘trippy.’ A lot [of my paintings] are landscapes that become a story. I try to get lost in the process when I’m painting, not overanalyze and not have a preconceived idea.
“In tattooing, there are more restrictions: I’m working with another person, [I have to take into account] the part of body, the longevity of the tattoo. There’s a lot to consider…My tattoos are simple and graphic: my paintings are layered.”
Although Geddes no longer lives on Nantucket, he and Joanna frequently communicate about art. “We send each other our work all the time, communicating and sharing. I learned a lot from both of [my parents]…A common thread between me and my mom is that we try to get lost in the process,” said Geddes. “The layers,” Kane added “is something that I have in common with Geddes.”
The opening reception for this extraordinary show in the Gallery at Four India Street will take place on Friday, August 23, from 6 to 8 pm. Both Joanna Kane and Geddes Jones will be present to discuss their work, share their creative processes, and engage with visitors. The reception offers a unique opportunity to meet the artists and gain insight into the experiences that have brought this show to life. The interplay between Joanna’s work and Geddes’ promises a rich and engaging experience for attendees, blending vibrant color, dynamic movement, and the lineage of their art. Don’t miss this chance to experience captivating artistic expression in The Gallery at Four India.
The Gallery at Four India
upstairs at 4 India Street, downtown • thegallerynantucket.com
Monday-Saturday 10 am to 5 pm; Sunday noon to 4 pm