Born on a Saturday – Early Works & Creativity Persevering Through Cancer by Jan Cramer
- May 05, 2025 - August 18, 2025
Born on a Saturday is a working title for a fictional story I have been writing. Some of these works in this show are a visual orientation to some of the plot and characters. Books have been so integral to my life. From reading in a ‘secret’ closet in my parents’ bedroom, to college textbooks, to bedtime stories for my boys, stories on the porch with my mom, and teaching bookmaking to my middle school art students. All this has so much influenced my growth as an artist, person, and storyteller. Reading, making, and writing books is the focus of this showing of art.
Being a lifelong learner, I am still a student…an art student in particular. I have recently taken encaustic and cyanotype art classes in Kalamazoo and Frankfort, Michigan, and have fallen in love with this waxy medium. I like the ethereal effect it gives to ordinary images or collages. There are some pieces here that are representative of that. I have also taken online bookmaking classes to elevate my knowledge and creative possibilities with book forms, bindings, and found objects.
Cancer has put so much in a distinct perspective. Slow down or hurry up? Both. No time to waste in my creative adventures. Time spent enjoying and observing is not wasted. Accelerating my work while slowing down busyness. The number of books I’ve made, as well as media experimentation, is the highest it’s been since college. Forced physical limitations, thus more time to think is at a level I’ve never known.
Please observe, enjoy, and inhale what you find intriguing.
– Jan Cramer, October 2024
