In Conversation with Jihad Dennis

The interview with Jihad Dennis

Introduce yourself! 

My name is Jihad C. Dennis. I am from Akron, Ohio, and I'm an acrylic portrait painter, and I am the sixth resident of feverdream. 

How would you say your overall experience at feverdream was?

Man, it was a pretty eye-opening experience. I never got to work on art in a facility like this with this support level. So it opened my eye to what I was capable of given the right resources, the right amount of time. And so I think it was a pretty eye-opening experience, and definitely helped me add some new tools to my arsenal as a painter, for sure.

What would you say you learned about your artistic practice during your stay? What did you learn by yourself and how you work?

I definitely think time is a really crucial factor in my work. I always feel looking is definitely a little bit more important than always doing, although I did a lot. But I always feel like layering of thought and experience is something that's really important in my work, and being able to think about work and be given the time, resources. I think that's really crucial to how I'm starting to work now.

How did you see this opportunity as a boost for yourself as an emerging artist, and did it set you ahead?

I think it definitely set me ahead. It felt like a really great “into the summer.” I definitely had a lot of stuff going on, but it was really good to return to something that always inspired me. That was kind of my first start in art as a whole. So it was really good to cap off there with a big party [Homage]. And having my dad come through, having my brother come through, just having all my family come through, was really cool. Shouts out to mom, but I sent her plenty of pictures, for sure. (Laughs)

Jihad at Homage (the big "party")

You mentioned before you hadn't made so much work in a short period of time?

Yeah. I took a really big hiatus from painting, and it was really cool because I got to work on four larger pieces, which was really new for me. And being able to have the resources to do that, it was kind of like a weird return— I think it was actually a fitting return to really aim big given such a big opportunity. So really, I think I hit for the stars. I really landed on something I was proud of.

How did this experience lend to experimentation in your art making? What did you experiment with?

Well, definitely, I used my same tool set, but definitely as we had our check-ins with the critiques and getting that feedback from outside voices—because only only a few eyes were on the paintings—I was able to add elements of collage and [have] fun with it, mixing paint and different adhesives to really play with the surface and create a sense of tension that I wanted within the paintings to surround the main figures. And that was something I really wanted to experiment [with]. And that's something, like I said before, bringing into my arsenal, and also being aware of different resources and people that came before me. So, yeah, I think it was definitely more so an experimental period in my artistic phase. 

How did you surprise yourself during your stay?  

Well, I think my most surprising thing about my stay was just seeing the paintings come together. Because it's weird having a set amount of time, there's a sense of evolution. And all these paintings went through lots of changes. One of the paintings was extremely spontaneous. And I think given a span of time and intention, I feel like you can really create some really unique things. And also, when you're locked in and your main job is to paint, I feel like: “You know what? I'm just gonna do this. I'm like here anyway.” So it was definitely fun, very fun, but a productive time for me, for sure.

What did you think about the space that you worked in? Do you think it fostered creativity for you?

Yeah, for sure, definitely. Going up the steps it was an entry into another realm for sure. I knew I was locked in, and it kind of helped. It was cool to be in an elevated space, looking out. You had a good view of outside, and you're able to seclude yourself if you wanted to. But I think it was a really unique space. Definitely one of the most unique spaces I've been to. To paint.

How does it compare to your home studio? 

Well, most of my home studios have been basements or attics. Except when I was in college, I had a pretty spacious space, of course. But other than that, it's been pretty homegrown. But this has definitely inspired me to really invest in the space. I feel like it's really important for our artists to have a space you can really lock into like, “I'm here to make art.”

This is an interesting question, since you were on a second shift here. Did you feel like a member of the community at the space when interacting with folks?

Well, I did work the night shift, so I didn't get to see too many people, except at the end of work when they were ready to go home. But definitely for all the times from the intro to the midway point of just saying hello, everybody's very welcoming and very homey. It's a very homey space too. So plenty of snacks and, you know, mingle when you can. And it was definitely a very cool experience.

You're local to this area, was the neighborhood surrounding the studio positive? And did you happen to have a favorite restaurant in the area?

Oh yeah, for sure. It's definitely been an evolution. I started out with going to Barrio, and then the pizza's joint near Edison's [Lil Ronnie’s]. And then definitely started going to Cilantro during the tail end, when it opened. But I love the neighborhood. It's super walkable. And, yeah, I live really close to here, so it was really a pleasant walk. And getting to just walk, think, marinate on my paintings before and after. So I think it was a really pleasant experience. I feel like if I was somewhere else it would have been a little… (Makes sound and laughs)

What would you say is your favorite piece that you make here? And why?

Hmm, well, it's definitely a weird one, but I'd have to say the Michael Jackson one got the most impressions, but I feel like my favorite was Affirmations #1. I feel like it was the painting I first wanted to do, and I feel like I executed it pretty well. And it's always good to have a painting that comes together pretty well, exactly how you wanted, exactly how you saw it. But still kind of has some different element to it you didn't expect. It was pretty spontaneous, but something I was very familiar with. I was working on the idea for a little bit. So that's probably one I was most proud of. And yeah, definitely one that's most closest to my heart, I guess, in terms of memory.

In regards to the residency, what would you say is your biggest takeaway?

I would say having time to explore ideas is very important. I feel it's just really important to paint. Don't ever be afraid to paint. I took a bit of a hiatus, and this reminded me of what it is to work on something that's productive, but also very close to my heart. And what I see in the world, and like a release, in a way. So it was that feeling I kind of forgot, in a sense, and definitely a feeling of purpose. So I’m really glad I got to explore it, and hope to explore it some more, honestly.

What were you most nervous about coming into a residency program? 

Honestly, it was the pressure to make art in general. It was like, “man, like they expect me to make art.”  And I knew that, but it was like, “wow,” it made me think about my ideas differently. Made me think about how I wanted to do scale and scale up my paintings and make them be a little bit more ambitious. That kind of informed my thinking a little bit.

What was daily life like here for you? If someone reading was interested in becoming a resident, what was like your routine?

Routine is coming in—I had the later shift so it was a little bit different—but I would always have a set plan of what I wanted to do. It was weird for me, because I worked on three paintings at one time. Sometimes I would work on multiple paintings if I had the same palette. But honestly I [would] paint through. I might take a break. Go back home. I live pretty close. Or I may just take a walk or something. Listen to music. I was listening to music while I'm [painting]. It's good to just get out, get some fresh air, honestly. Pretty consistent. I would always get back to work. Really get on my schedule. But definitely having that sense of time to think and then just execute. That was definitely just part of my routine. just kind of like a cycle I went through.

Jihad's first critique, with Erykah Townsend

And what'd you think about the three critiques that you had while here? You had two visiting artists, and then the final critique. What did you think of critiques in general, getting that feedback from other creative folks about your work?

I think it was pretty good because it was from three different voices. It was one voice [that] was more so sculpture in a sense, but still had a painting background. The other was a photographer. And then the other was a group of the people who facilitated this—feverdream. So I think it was a really nice, unique mix of different voices. And I really like that because [there were] definitely different influences. They brought up different artists I should look at. So I think it was all super helpful for the experience, honestly.

What was something from a critique that just stuck with you, that you were thinking about for a while after?

I think the first critique: kind of the unfinishedness of  the art, and also the collage element too. We stumbled upon that idea somehow through the conversation. And I think all the dialogue was pretty constructive. I feel like we maybe went to an artist I reminded somebody of and then from there we explored different styles from collage. Maybe using pastel or just random stuff. And I think it was very sprawling, but I feel it really informed what I was going to do next. 

I think the second one probably [was like] maybe the last [critique], and it was really emphasizing the Michael Jackson piece. I think it was a really big stepping stone, because it helped me realize what was really talking to people, and what was being a conversation starter. It was a big learning experience, because people talked about their experiences from it. And it really harked back to the first conversation about creating a fragmented collage, in a sense, of these different objects and figures and icons. I thought that was really interesting. It really reinforced that idea from the first talk. From there, I knew we were on the right track. I think that last talk was really, really good, too,

Jihad's second critique, with Amber Ford

You have listen to one album for the rest of your life, while panting, while working, while doing whatever. What are you listening to? 

Man, such a hard one. We have to pause the camera. I don't want to say that person. (Laughs)

We’ll do an off the record answer and then a PG version. What's your off the record answer?

[Off the record answer]

As if nothing happened, if you can listen to one album while painting for the rest of your life. What album is it?

It’d probably have to be Alex G. I can't believe I forgot the title. It has a goat on it. I can't believe I forgot the name. I actually have it on CD. I think it was like, it was his first big album for Domino, dude. I know that album. I feel like a fake Alex G fan. I want to go see him and everything. 

Rocket? 

Yeah. Alex G, Rocket. I would listen to that for the entire time painting. It's just such a chill folk album, indie folk album, Yeah, really good. It's a really good record.