All Eyes On: Jordan Baraniecki

Jordan Baraniecki was born and raised in Saskatoon, but his Bachelors of Fine Art took him to three different universities across Canada where he received scholarships and awards in drawing. His no-so-linear path took him to the University of Saskatchewan, ACAD U and NSCAD U for his Bachelors of Fine Art. For his Masters, Emily Carr University was where he graduated in 2022. Over the course of his travels, Jordan has always held a deep level of respect for introspection, philosophy and psychology. These are the undercurrents for his process and the foundation of his work.

Jordan has shown Nationally, Internationally and most recently in the NFT Marketplace. He was included in an exhibition at the Academy of Fine Art in Krakow, Poland. In addition, he has worked with major companies such as Herschel Clothing and the Vancouver Opera for creative projects. He has also partnered with the 0x Society Gallery in Montreal developing his NFTs. In addition, he completed a year-long artist residency in his hometown at the historic Bunkhouse.

Statement

“Chasing Dopamine” is a series of artworks that explore color, play and stimuli. I’m curious about what artists and viewers gravitate towards after the trauma of the pandemic. Dopamine is a primary compound in the body that produces pleasure and plays a major role in our life. My goal is to explore the psychology of what that can do for me as the artist, and what that output looks like for the viewer when presented with “dopamine-type” work. This series is an exploration of color, texture and form as their own visual language; by focusing on the fundamental elements, it opens up the work to interpretation.

In Reductionism in Art and Brain Science: Bridging the Two Cultures, Eric Kandel, who is a psychiatric medical doctor and neuroscientist, assesses the reduction method in relation to science, art and perception. He goes on to say: “Artists often use reductionism to serve a different purpose. By reducing figuration, artists enable us to perceive an essential component of a work in isolation, be it form, line, color, or light. The isolated component stimulates aspects of our imagination in ways that a complex image might not. We perceive unexpected relationships in the work, as well as, perhaps, new connections between the work of art and our life experiences as recalled in memory.”

My goal is to provide a visual stimulating artwork for the viewer to allow their subconscious to take them in directions that might connect things together, boost dopamine and provide the new connections that were perhaps hidden during the pandemic.