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By Ayanna Eckblad

The Albert Lea Art Center’s newest exhibit, “So Dark, It’s Light” showcases the work of Albert Lea native, Jordan MF Jenson. The pieces will be on display through Nov. 16, and an artist reception for Jenson will be from 1 to 3 p.m. Oct. 27 at the Art Center.

Originally from the area, Jenson grew up in a military family and moved around quite a bit. He settled back in Albert Lea about five years ago. He currently works as an artist and photographer. This will be his first official show at the Art Center.

Jenson’s work is largely abstract and focuses on his experiences around the world and what he was feeling at the time. For him, he said, it’s cathartic to try and capture his emotions and share them with others.

“I’m very appreciative when someone tells me, ‘This is what I’m seeing in it,’ because ultimately my objective goal is to make someone want to stand there and feel very occupied with what they’re looking at.”

Because connection with the art is at the core of Jenson’s work, he said detaching himself from his art is also one of the greatest challenges. He said he is always more interested in creating art than deciding what to do with it afterwards.

Many of Jenson’s art pieces are based on experiences he had in his travels around the world. One example is ink smeared across a wall on a building he saw while in Kuwait around 2009. He explained moments like these help with the organic nature of his work.

“It helps to capture that thought or that feeling a little bit,” he said.

For his exhibit, “It’s So Dark, It’s Light,” Jenson said he wanted to focus on the way physical light and darkness play with each other. He used both glossy and flat mediums so people are able to see the pieces with different perspectives.

“When you’re close up, you’re like ‘Wait, why is it so shiny right here?’ and then you move and it’s a whole new [thing],” he said.

He also wants audiences to be captivated by the submersion of color in his artwork.

“I know escapism is such a thing,” Jenson said. “People like to remove themself from reality, but in that, I think it’s [more] important to occupy your own thoughts, while you’re escaping, than let someone occupy your thoughts while you escaped.”

Because the exhibition is so open to interpretation, Jenson is excited to see how audiences react to his work.

“It’s so fun and funny, or sometimes emotional,” he said. “It’s interesting to hear some of these things, these stories that people have about your painting, but you’ve never met them.”