Jessica Cannon

I found Dan Eldon’s journals last year when I was twenty-one. To see someone my age leave such an incredible mark on the world in such a short time has been a constant source of inspiration to me.

I bought my first black-bound journal when I was fifteen, a mandatory purchase meant for art class homework assignments. Before long I was drawing in it everyday. It started with graffiti tags, pop art imagery and mini murals and was soon filled with newspaper clippings, t-shirt fragments, photographs, concert tickets, matches and anything else that could be glued or taped down. I remember how amazing it felt to think that anything could be a material. It led me to experiment and take greater risks both inside the journal and on canvas. I no longer felt that the world had to be represented literally, and the cryptic pages that grew from this process represent some of the most personal experiences of my life.

The journal is still my compass. Within the private confines of its cover, I translate places physical and emotional. Through its unique visual language I am not afraid to communicate honestly.