Todd Jannausch
Now So Dreamlike
This March, Traver Gallery is proud to welcome mixed-media sculptor, Todd Jannausch to the gallery. In his first solo exhibition at Traver Gallery, Jannausch, known for sculptures that transform everyday objects into poetic sculptures, creates an immersive domestic environment. The scene is comprised of altered ordinary objects; a table and chair penetrated by thousands of tiny holes, a mailbox bent over on itself, a hammock made entirely of improbably thin glass chains. Using gesture, repetition, and material fragility, Jannausch creates an environment that feels familiar yet parallel to our collective perception, offering a haunting look at how the items we encounter everyday carry meaning, and stories that are created and known uniquely by each of us.
Jannausch says of the work, “We can’t have the same experience as someone else…Our shared experience of objects brings this idea into three-dimensional space. We can walk around an object of familiarity and look at it from different angles. Observed, it may remain perfectly still, making us feel for a minute like time has stopped. At that moment, we can experience the life of that object. The story may come to us in many ways. We may experience it as an image or a movie or a scent we just noticed. With intention, we can experience it in our bodies. It may feel like heat or pressure, or joy. It may be a deep breath you didn’t take but was given to you. It may feel similar to the sensation as pain.”
Originally from Michigan, Todd Jannausch spent his early career as a ship fitter in the Navy and as a professional shipwright before transitioning to a career focused on art. Since that time, he has taught and worked at Pratt Fine Arts Center, The University of Puget Sound, Two Ravens Studio and Foundry, and Grand Image. In addition to teaching and fabrication, Jannausch co-founded Feast Arts Center in Tacoma, where he curated exhibitions and created community-driven arts events. He has received numerous awards and grants, including a 2015 Artist Trust Fellowship award. His work has been exhibited regionally at the Frye Art Museum and Bellevue Art Museum.
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About
Todd Jannausch - view profile
Todd Jannausch creates sculptures and installations in a variety of materials that include wood, steel, glass, bronze, and found objects. Employing the semblance of domestic objects as an entry point, his work uses gesture, repetition and material fragility to create environments that feel familiar and yet parallel to our collective perception. This creates a space to reflect upon time, perspective, and personal history.
Growing up in Michigan, Jannausch gained an affinity for the trades and for a midwestern work ethic—one he experienced at home. He left Michigan to join the Navy where he worked as a ship fitter. After finishing his tour of service he worked as an engineer in the merchant marines and studied traditional wood boat design and construction at the Northwest School of Wooden Boat Building in Port Townsend, WA. He spent a decade working as a shipwright, building and repairing traditional wooden boats throughout the Pacific Northwest.
After transitioning to a career in the arts he worked with several arts organizations including Pratt Fine Arts Center, The Art Department at The University of Puget Sound, and Two Ravens Studio and Art Foundry. As one of the co-founders of Feast Arts Center in Tacoma, WA, he curated gallery exhibitions and created community-driven art events. Currently, he works as an installation artist and sculptor at Grand Image in Seattle. In 2015 Jannausch was the recipient of an Artist Trust Fellowship. His work is included in several private and corporate collections including the Weyerhaeuser Art Collection and has been exhibited at The Frye Art Museum and Bellevue Art Museum.