Ferne Jacobs Catalog

running. “There are processes in the world that will always
be there whether we are there or not.”
She constructed her most recent piece, the skeletal
Whispering Whale (fig. 18), during the height of the
pandemic, out of increased concern about the
environment and species loss. In particular, she wanted to
speak to the critical problems she felt are being ignored.
“The work is not about issues in the world per se, but of
course, I am affected by them. The work has more to do
with a mystery that I relate with when I am working, and
just hoping that when each piece is complete, that it feels
alive, that it has ‘breath’.”
The exhibition includes Jacobs’ intimate drawings (figs.
15 and 16) and collage diaries (fig. 17), which have never
been publicly displayed before. This imagery provides an
additional revelatory lens into her vision, inspiration, and
philosophical perspective. Jacobs creates psychological
drawings, depicting her subconscious, and they are filled
with Jungian symbolism. The serpent or snake, bird, and
fish are central figures that fill these pages, forming
narratives that sometimes extend for several pages.
Whereas her drawing books are more personal and often
stem from her dreams and subconsciousness, collage
is an outlet through which Jacobs witnesses and charts
time. She depicts her worldview and her responses to
what is happening in society.
Jacobs is recognized for her technical mastery of material
and process. Reinventing and advancing traditional
techniques used for basketry, and inventing countless
other methods along the way, Jacobs has generated an
entirely fresh format for sculptural art. Her acute sense
of color melded with her poetic and intuitive approach
are characteristic traits. Each piece begins with an idea, a
dream, a story, or a picture in Jacobs’ mind, but it grows
CONNECTED CELLS, BREATHING FORMS 27