An “Arts Kid” Making Her Interdisciplinary Way at Duke

Cameron Oglesby (CO): What are the primary mediums that you work with as an artist?

Adair Jones (AJ): Before coming to Duke, I did a lot of acrylic on canvas and also pencil drawings, like portraiture. While at Duke I’ve taken a lot of screen printing classes and I’ve gotten into Adobe Illustrator. When I started making posters for the Coffeehouse I had never used Illustrator before—I taught myself the program over the course of these few years. Most of the work I do now is actually in Illustrator simply because on campus there’s not a lot of space to get paints—but you can bring your computer anywhere.

CO: What about your background made you interested in the arts in the first place?

AJ: Growing up I was always the “arts kid.” It was a part of my identity. So when I came to Duke, it just made sense to continue in the visual arts. It also made sense for me to major in art history because I didn’t know anything about it. Growing up, people would ask me, “Who is your favorite artist?,” and I didn’t know anyone! I felt like that was a necessary thing to acquire—the knowledge of past artists.

CO: What have you appreciated about your experience with the arts at Duke so far?

AJ: I really enjoy the collaborative aspect of the arts at Duke. Had I not been involved in the arts and campus community at large, I wouldn’t make half the stuff I make. A lot of the things I make are either for, or in response to, specific campus events

CO: Similarly, what else do you hope to get out of your artistic experience for the remainder of your time at Duke?

AJ: I’m planning on doing a visual arts thesis next semester. That will be a collaborative project within the department. I’m actually starting to work on it this summer because I got funding from a Benenson Award in the Arts to get started on my project.

CO: Is there a type of art that you prefer to create? Such as realistic vs. abstract or landscapes vs. portraits?

AJ: I love art in public spaces. That tends to be an installation or some type of sculpture. There’s this whole thing called land art that I’m obsessed with. I really like the nontraditional art that has a hard time existing within a gallery space. There’s also the division in art between art that can be commodified and sold and art that can’t be commodified or sold. I like artworks that cannot be sold; they are more accessible that way.

CO: What are your future plans, career wise or otherwise, with respect to the arts on campus or in life?

AJ: I want art to always be in my life, but I don’t want it to be the focus of my career because I feel like that would take some of the fun out of it. I also feel like I wouldn’t make genuine art anymore—but I will always make art on the side and I want to make art for free, as a hobby. I just want to make it for my enjoyment and for the enjoyment of others—pro–bono all the way!

On campus, I can think of three things that I would say I’m planning on. I work at Duke Coffeehouse and there’s a little wall that needs a new mural. As far as my thesis goes, I plan on having an exhibit at the end of my senior year that will be an interactive experience for students. I’m also hoping to get more involved with duARTS and their programming.

CO: Is there anything else you would like to share about your art experience at Duke or how it’s affected you?

AJ: Duke stresses its interdisciplinary aspect and that’s definitely helped me. I find myself, while working on art projects, taking inspiration from classes in other departments—it’s all very collaborative. I might pull from my natural science elective, or a comp-sci class, or a history course. I’m glad I came to Duke rather than an art school for this reason. I’ve been exposed to random, non-art related subjects and topics that have proven foundational to how I approach and contextualize art.