FORWARD - Dr. David Raizman

For the series which are contained in this book, Fred Jones turns his attention from the enveloping expanse and changing moods of the western Illinois landscape to its porcine population. Pigs are integral to the economic life in the region and are part of the recurrent theme of rural existence. Occasionally, however, in the context of an auction or a show, they command a degree of respect which allows to relate us to relate to them in a new and unfamiliar way. We are reminded of the prominent role that animals play in the myths of the Near East, where the serve not only as metaphors for superhuman attributes of heroes and divine kings, but were also used to explain the essential forces upon which civilization depended. To this primitive mentality these forces were powerful personalities who acted willfully in bringing about a change of the season, the cycles of life and rebirth in nature. That such cycles were understood in animal form, assumes an admiration for the beauty and dignity of the animal world. This fascination declines with the anthropomorphic mythology of the Greeks and its emphasis on the unique capabilities of the individual.

Fred Jones explores our shifting attitudes and sympathies regarding the world of pigs. They are seen first as the standardized products of mechanized production. In one print we are told "You are what you eat". Indeed the way that we purchase and consume pork products is function of our farming methods. The monotony of hog life cannot help but be affected in our own habits and values. Self reflection, initiated by considering our relation to the animal world, often provides a note of humor. For these early images the technique of silkscreen is employed. The emphasis on flat shapes and limited color often to simplify the subject matter in the form of a graph or a logo. The communication is direct but somehow impersonal. Also we see pigs more personally, as beings whose rigidly ordered and confined existence has not extinguished the liberating power of imagination. New avenues of hope and meaning are opened up by inner visions which transform their impoverished lives into a more promising reality. To convey the emotional nature of this visionary experience, Fred Jones turns to intaglio. He explores space through tonal modulation and swirling linear movement, lending depth and excitement to the dreams which animate the lives of pigs and show the broad range of their perception.

Fred Jones reminds us that to endow the animal world with conscious and personality is a basic and natural habit of the human mind. While we cannot escape the intelligence and insight which has given us control of the animal world, Pig Passages encourages us, nevertheless, to maintain a personal link to that world. With this link our awareness of pig life is expanded by being seen in a new light, a light emanating from our own imagination and sensibility. It is part of our human consciousness which we often fail to activate as a means to an enriched understanding of ourselves.

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