Full SLOPOKE Art Book for 2023

JAN HANDTMANN
Ruth Weisberg her print making Professor at USC and former Dean of the Roski school encouraged
Jan to carry on her studio practice when she retired from design work. Jan along with Ruth
and Caryl Levy and Susan Gesundheit formed an artist collective named the Four Graces. As the
Four Graces, they travel together, do art, have exhibitions, and often gather at Jan’s studio in Santa
Ynez for workshops. Jan is interested in presenting narratives of her work in the most effective
ways possible by
using multiple medias
and combining them
to best express the
concepts of her
different series. Much
of her work is ab-
stract and symbolic.
Using and repeating
shapes, subjects, and
materials gives them
strong symbolic
meaning and creates
her visual vocabulary.
One of the goals is
to free the symbols
from their tradition-
al perspective and
view-point so they
float in space. Color,
light, and texture
are instrumental in
her work to cre-
ate mood, energy,
emotion and compo-
sitional connection.
Jan creates a body
of work as a series
that relates to time
and change. Each
tells a story of the
past, present and/
or future. Subjects
of these series are
diverse and might be
biographical, philosophical
or examine things in the world today. The imagery ranges from almost chaotic to serene
and contemplative. Her work tries to communicate that art can be a positive catalyst for change
and life. She has exhibited her prints, drawings, and paintings primarily in California. She has work in
private collections around the country and several permanent architectural neon installations. Art
has always been a passion for Jan and remains an important part of her life.
25