Today we’d like to introduce you to Catherine Jones.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
For as long as I can remember, making images — back then, my chosen medium was crayon— was always a source of joy that grew as the years went by. It was Mom’s idea that I attend art school, and in 1975, was enrolled in the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. Mr. West, my high school art teacher, had said that it was considered to be the best in Canada; it was also only one of two schools in the country that taught jewellery-making. Unfortunately, an introduction to the oxygen-acetalene torch was when my profound terror of fire fully manifested itself, and jewellery was dropped in favour of painting. Jerry Ferguson taught painting, and many years after graduating, I had the privilege to tell him that if not for he (and Mom), I would probably have become a lawyer… or waitress.
After graduating in 1979, I was at loose ends and musing aloud to Dad, who was a veteran of the Second World War and also a PoW, “Maybe I should join the Armed Forces.” Without skipping a beat, Dad, who was a very dry man, responded, “You’d be court-martialled before noon.” Many years later, during the three-year pestering campaign it took to get to Afghanistan, that anecdote was recounted to Major-General Poulter, who dead-panned, “Your dad was right.”
And, so, I painted… and began to have exhibitions which led to reviews. The jewellery, made entirely of sculpted leather (to avoid the ghastly perils of torches), was begun to augment painting commissions. Starting with a $7.00 investment, I had only intended to make/sell a dozen pairs of earrings a month. Surprisingly, it took off and soon there were two employees; within a few years, the collection was carried in stores across North America, Europe, and Japan. Magazines and other designers took note. Donna Karan requested I cancel my first trip to Paris to design her Spring 1994 accessories collection and invitations to visit the Chanel and Lacroix ateliers followed.
Here are some of the jewelry articles: http://www.scathing.com/scathingpress.html
After visiting Paris a few times and falling utterly in love with the city, in 1998 I moved there to install a street action on the one year anniversary of the death of Princess Diana, titled, “Like A Candle”. This was my reaction to the world’s outpouring of grief, which, frankly, I found unsettling. The tragedy was that two boys lost their mother.
Here is a link to the Diana piece: http://www.scathing.com/famous/aug31/index.html
Simultaneously, the jewelry was picked up by various boutiques, including the Musee des Arts Decoratifs; the collection was also exhibited in Venice.
I returned to Vancouver and hoping to move to the USA, left in 2002, but had an accident en route. No longer able to paint large-scale works, frighteningly, I even had to relearn how to hold a paintbrush. There was also an imperative to pay tribute to soldiers and a series of life-size, oil-on-linen portraits of Second World War veterans, titled “At the End of the Day” sprang from this desire. The collection depicts American, Canadian, British and German veterans because the theme is forgiveness and reconciliation. Including the Germans was controversial, more important, it has been deeply transformative, helping to heal old wounds.
Recognizing the Everyman soldier by creating a whole wall of individual heroes was the first of its kind and honoring these worthy individuals has become my true passion.
Here is a link to the original portraits, Senate unveiling and cross-country tour: http://www.scathing.com/endofday/index.html
In 2009, that pestering campaign paid off and I traveled to Afghanistan to film the documentary, “15:13”, the theme of which is soldiers’ comradeship in-theatre. It took lashings of vodka to come up with the title and was inspired by the Book of John, chapter and verse, 15:13: Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. The soldiers took really good care of me, which was infinitely lucky because I almost got blown up four times during deployment.
This is a link to the movie: xv-xiii.com
The film was licensed by the CBC and here is one review: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/television/horror-and-humour-in-afghanistan-lest-we-forget/article6575536/?service=mobile
As noted, I had always longed to live in a big, sexy American city, and six years ago, realizing that not following this dream would be a life-long regret, I moved to Chicago. Ah, Chicago. What a magnificent city. To have top-drawer architecture, art museums, opera, the symphony and 22 miles of beaches and parks running all along the lake is unique. I have been working here under an O-1 visa, for individuals with extraordinary abilities, ever since.
Has it been a smooth road?
This question brought a chuckle or more accurately, the laugh of the damned. It has not been a smooth road and without Mom, Dad, Uncle Jack and many kind friends, the towel would have been thrown in years ago.
Being a pioneer is far more difficult than being a settler and many battles had to be fought. Before the Honourable Al Graham introduced me to Senator Meighen, who issued an invitation to exhibit “the boys” in the Senate of Canada, few were interested in an artwork that honored veterans. In fact, when I decided to commit to the endeavor, my first thought was, “Old men on canvas, yep, that’ll get me kicked out of the art world.” No one is more surprised than I, that in fewer than two decades, it has become a worldwide art movement. It is ineffably gratifying to have created the genre that celebrates those who deserve to be remembered, yet had previously only received undeserved neglect.
Here is an article on the movement: http://thechronicleherald.ca/opinion/1569792-demont-art-movement-born-on-halifax-street-corner
Getting access to a war zone was equally challenging; becoming the only unaffiliated civilian to have ever been embedded with the troops was a long process. From when General Poulter and I met, until the film was licensed, took longer than five years. It was worth the effort. The notion of celebrity for celebrity’s sake is mystifying, when real heroes are left to die in obscurity, and it is lovely that my work has helped in the recognition of the unsung.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Although metal fabrication was not pursued, those techniques were adapted to suit leather and are applied during the various stages of construction. For instance, to maintain the integrity of precious and semiprecious stones, they must be properly set to allow light to enter. Leather is a sensuous material and the all-leather construction (there are no hidden armatures) means that the pieces have a sculptural/architectural appearance while being feather-weight. When my designs have been translated into metal or plastic—as others have done—I understand that the outcome is not terribly comfortable to wear.
Here are some of the designs: http://www.scathing.com/cathingjones-1.html
New Question Luck / bad luck): Anyone, especially women, is lucky to have been born in North America. We take so many privileges for granted. If you can take a hot bath at the end of your day, then you are very fortunate because you have access to clean, hot water and have the physical ability to get in and out of a bathtub.
My parents and Uncle Jack were very supportive and I have had many kind friends. Without their “atta girl” over the years, the road would have been very bumpy indeed.
When I had the accident that caused me to have to relearn how to paint, it was devastating. Had it not occurred, I would not have probably begun the veterans series, which has inspired a global movement. Sometimes bad luck can have a positive outcome.
Where is the industry going?
It would be difficult to guess as to where the industry is going, but it has always been human nature to appear fetching. What I do know is that the pendulum will keep swinging and that which may be fashionable one season will be considered hopelessly outmoded the next. This is why I prefer personal style, which is not governed by trends, but springs from an inherent confidence. And that is a most attractive trait.
Pricing:
- The price points start at $100.00 and go up from there. The portrait commissions start at $20,000.00.
Contact Info:
- Website: scathing.com
- Phone: 773-888-6220
- Email: scathing@scathing.com
Image Credit:
Sidney Hansen
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
