J D Glass
Concepts and Key Themes
The portraits are images of people taken during the beginning of the quarantine lockdowns in the US, and what struck me was how, despite so much of the face being covered, was revealed about individuality, personality, mood—the soul, in fact —by the eyes. Every single one of these people is donning a mask and is performing a task for others. Some are doctors. Some are nurses. Some are younger adult children of older parents who are at risk. Others are undertaking the risk for a spouse, or a child, or even their neighbors. Some are trying their best to still teach their young students, and some are just doing their best to keep hope. And they are all marked by what is revealed, the heart of them, the core (Coeur), which also plays with the similarity to corona, as in the virus that is forcing this particular adjustment. The images are digitally drawn from photographs at 16”x16”. The heart on them is “mine,” and is part of my own iconography, from an illustrated work/comic I created called CORE (and yes, of course, that does in fact relate back to the concept of “heart”).
The images on kraft paper are also a response and meditation to the current COVID-19 situation, a meditation on the necessity of the quarantine, the desire to “go outside,” the transience of human existence juxtaposed upon that which endures…the humble brick, upon which literally all of modern society and of course many famous ancient civilizations – is built. The use of kraft paper itself is a direct result of the quarantine—it was literally the available substrate.
Graphite rubbings helped to “bring the outside in” and maintain that sense of graffiti; the iconography used is exactly that— a graphic language, a discussion between observer, event, and those who are affected, some done in a way that has roots that not only go back to where we each as mark makers start—handprints as children on walls and such—but even further before us, 64,000 years and more, to the deepest cave paintings, a testament to art, to brick, and to the survival of spirit.
Artist Bio:
American Library Association-Stonewall Finalist, Lambda Literary-Literature (two-time finalist), Ben Franklin Literary Finalist, Golden Crown Literary Finalist and Award. Recipient of Columbia College Chicago’s Faculty Recognition Award, and Columbia Scholar Award. Selected for Chicago Manifest Art Showcase. InArt Gallery Virtual Exhibit. Participant in I See Pixels exhibit.
ART & ILLUSTRATION
Official Poster and Key Art for the documentary Mama Gloria
Official Poster for the documentary Return of the Navajo Boy Story
Fully design and layout of Hispanecdotes Magazine—print edition
Contributing Editor, Writer, and Illustrator GO Magazine
Illustration for noted children’s magazine (for which a story was built around), Root & Star 2019
InArt Gallery June exhibit 2020
Manifest Chicago 2020 exhibit
Print collection sold in Four-Sided Gallery & Store 2018
Various game assets 2018, 2019, 2020
TV SERIES
Punk Like Me (Development deal with OUT-TV, an executive producer in conjunction with Kevin Fox (Law & Order: SVU)
and Mike Sword (Legends of the Deep)
NOVELS (all work as JD Glass)
Punk Like Me; Punk And Zen Part 1: The ReMix; Punk and Zen Part 2: The ReMaster;
American Goth; First Blood; Red Light; Glass Lions; X; Drawn Together
ANTHOLOGIES
A Heart Well-Traveled; Absolute Power; 50 Gay and Lesbian Books Everybody Must Read; Outsiders; Road Games;
Extreme Passions;
Nocturnes; Interludes
ARTICLES
I’m Not A Lesbian, But I Play One On TV—Amber Benson Interview; GO Magazine; Tainted Love; GO Magazine; 100 Women We Love (Pride Issue)[contributing writer and editor]; 2018, 2019, 2020 GO Magazine; Too Hot to Handle/Latinx
Hypersexualisation in Media; GO Magazine; 2 Studies That Prove Domestic Violence Is an LGBT Issue; The Advocate; How to Help a Friend Who is Dealing with Same-Sex Intimate Partner Violence; After Ellen; Witnessing Herstory at the Golden Crown Literary Society Conference; The Advocate; Write that Song! Capturing the Spark Reverb
SCREENPLAYS
Red Light (based on the novel; screenplay and series arc); Grace (adapted from the graphic novel by Kris Dresen); Punk Like Me (based on the novel; screenplay and television series arc)
MUSIC
Music career began with winning a spot in children’s chorus and band after auditioning, and copywriting my original compositions (lyrics and melodies, beginning in the 3rd grade) then becoming a part of NYC’s Borough Wide Chorus (performance at Carnegie Hall while in high school), I was a founding member of the original Adam’s Rib (and designed the snake & apple logo), performed at the even-then legendary CBGBs and was immediately offered an opening touring
slot with Ska band, The Toasters. The band broke up, I became a member of Life Underwater, performing at the Rock Ridge, then later when it became Sanctuary, again at CBGBs (a few times, in fact), Le Bar Bat, Downtime (located in the famous Music Building in NYC), opened for Noel Redding (who told me if Jim Morrison of the Doors and Andrew Eldritch of the Sisters of Mercy could have a baby and it was a girl, it would be me) when he performed with the guitarists from The Spin Doctors, recorded with the incredible and dearly departed late musician/arranger/producer/conductor John Abbott (of “Don’t Walk Away Renee” Left Banke fame—he had tremendous regard for my voice), recorded with Steve Jerome (of H&L and Sugar Hill records fame [he and JigSaw are responsible for the first beat track ever, now known as Rapper’s Delight], as well as The Fifth Estate, Cameo, Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation, engineer for the Woodstock (performance) soundtrack), recorded with Jigsaw (Grandmaster Flash, named outright on the song “Scorpio”). Streamlined band line up, and as a duo, performed at various locations up and down the east coast with a performance in Eddie’s Attic in Atlanta.
Recorded with Henry Falco (of Cameo, Kool & the Gang, and Miles Davis). Currently a solo artist in process of recording with Mouse (SHURE Microphones, James Iha) at Reel Sounds Studios, and have done guitar sideman work for Rodney Baker (aka Bakerr, of Rocking House Records and Wax Trax).
Website