Candy P. Jernigan (1952 – June 5, 1991) was an American multimedia artist, graphic designer, and set designer, instrumental in the avant-garde art scenes of Provincetown and New York City in the late 1970s and 1980s. She is best known for her vivid collages of

found object A found object (a calque from the French ''objet trouvé''), or found art, is art created from undisguised, but often modified, items or products that are not normally considered materials from which art is made, often because they already hav ...

s she described as "rejectamenta", presented in diagrams to absurd effect. Jernigan is also known for having designed the covers and jackets of dozens of music albums and books as a colleague of Paul Bacon.

Biography

Born in

Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...

in 1952, Jernigan graduated from

Miami Palmetto High School Miami Palmetto Senior High School is a public high school located at 7431 S.W. 120th Street in Pinecrest, Florida. The school is on in southwest Miami-Dade County, and is part of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools district. Miami Norland S ...

in 1969 before attending the

Pratt Institute Pratt Institute is a private university with its main campus in Brooklyn, New York. It has an additional campus in Manhattan and an extension campus in Utica, New York at the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute. The institute was founded in 18 ...

in Brooklyn, and first worked as a set and costume designer in

Provincetown, Massachusetts Provincetown () is a New England town located at the extreme tip of Cape Cod in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, in the United States. A small coastal resort town with a year-round population of 3,664 as of the 2020 United States census, Provi ...

before 1975. She was described by realist painter and friend Lisbeth Firmin as an influential figure in the town's arts scene, being extensively involved in its theatre and the

Provincetown Art Association Provincetown () is a New England town located at the extreme tip of Cape Cod in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, in the United States. A small coastal resort town with a year-round population of 3,664 as of the 2020 United States census, Provi ...

Alec Wilkinson Alec Wilkinson (born March 29, 1952) is an American writer who has been on the staff of ''The New Yorker'' since 1980. According to ''The Philadelphia Inquirer '' he is among the "first rank of" contemporary American (20th and early 21st century ...

would describe her in a 1994 reflection on her time in Provincetown as witty, withdrawn, and modest in promoting her work. She kept a large macaw named Jack, and spent much of her evenings trying new studies of landscape painting and still lifes. Maintaining contact with Firmin and others who moved there, Jernigan moved back to New York in 1980, where she would take up work as a set designer for a dance company, and designed and illustrated dozens of covers for books and albums. She met Philip Glass in 1981 on a flight from Amsterdam to New York, and during their relationship would go on to design several of his album covers including ''

The Photographer A photographer A photographer (the Greek φῶς (''phos''), meaning "light", and γραφή (''graphê''), meaning "drawing, writing", together meaning "drawing with light") is a person who uses a camera to make photographs. Duties and ty ...

'', ''Dance (Nos. 1-5)'', and ''In the Upper Room'', among others. Within a few years she had moved in with Glass in his rowhouse in the East Village, helping to raise his children from his first marriage, Juliet and Zachary. Although identified as his third wife, the couple would spend the majority of their relationship as cohabitants, before marrying in 1991. Jernigan died the same year of

liver cancer Liver cancer, also known as hepatic cancer, primary hepatic cancer, or primary hepatic malignancy, is cancer that starts in the liver. Liver cancer can be primary in which the cancer starts in the liver, or it can be liver metastasis, or secondar ...

at the

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK or MSKCC) is a cancer treatment and research institution in Manhattan in New York City. MSKCC is one of 72 National Cancer Institute– designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers. Its main campus is ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, following a prolonged period of illness, having only been correctly diagnosed within weeks of her death. Following her death, a memorial fund for granting awards to dance choreographers and creators was set up in her name; her work would largely remain in storage in her Manhattan basement studio through the 1990s until the posthumous collection of her work ''Evidence: the Art of Candy Jernigan'', was released in 1999. Sponsorship for performing arts projects, as well as exhibition of her work has been in recent years managed by The Candy Jernigan Foundation for the Arts, under Philip Glass's Aurora Music Foundation.

Art career

While in Provincetown, Jernigan would serve as a set designer, and board member for the

Provincetown Art Association and Museum Provincetown () is a New England town located at the extreme tip of Cape Cod in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, in the United States. A small coastal resort town with a year-round population of 3,664 as of the 2020 United States census, Pro ...

and Provincetown Theater Company, as well as art director for ''Provincetown Magazine''. One of the earliest exhibitions of her work was at the East End Gallery in 1977, operated by fellow artist Allegra Printz. Moving to New York city in 1980, Jernigan went to on establish herself as a book designer over the next decade of her career, working for noted book designer Paul Bacon, introduced to her by

Laurie Dolphin Laurie Dolphin is a designer, author, and founder of AuthorScape, a small independent book packager and publisher in New York. She is also the art curator for actor Norman Reedus. Through her imprint Dolphin Books, Laurie Dolphin published and was ...

. In her own artwork Jernigan would work with several different mediums, including watercolors, oil painting, pastels, and mixed media such as

Xerox art Xerox art (sometimes, more generically, called copy art, electrostatic art, scanography or xerography) is an art form that began in the 1960s. Prints are created by putting objects on the glass, or platen, of a photocopier and by pressing "start" t ...

. A contributing member of the

International Society of Copier Artists The International Society of Copier Artists (I.S.C.A) was a non-profit group founded by Louise Odes Neaderland, Louise Neaderland in 1981, intended to promote the work of photocopier artists who used the copier as a camera with which to scan and pr ...

, her work was featured in multiple issues of its quarterly, including its first "bookworks" edition, an annual issue made up of separate booklets by different artists. Among her most notable works in mixed media were her "trash archivist" works, with several comprising New York City garbage including wrappers, packaging, and drug paraphernalia such as needles, vials, and caps. Jernigan would dub such objects "rejectaments" or "rejectamenta", items which have lost purpose or are disposable, with her work described contemporarily by a reporter for ''

The Morning Call ''The Morning Call'' is a daily newspaper in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1883, it is the second-longest continuously published newspaper in the Lehigh Valley, after '' The Express-Times''. The newspaper is owned by Alden Global Capital ...

'' as "a glorification of the insignificant... rather to serve as evidence of our being. ernigancreates unwanted relics of a society that wishes to be remembered on a much grander scale and not in the ordinary sense of its most basic ideas." These

works include ''Found Dope'', ''Found Dope II'', and ''Box O' Roaches'', the latter being several of the insects mounted on velvet, in a 1989 ''

New York Magazine ''New York'' is an American biweekly magazine concerned with life, culture, politics, and style generally, with a particular emphasis on New York City. Founded by Clay Felker and Milton Glaser in 1968 as a competitor to ''The New Yorker'' a ...

'' interview, Jernigan would characterize the piece– "I wanted them to look regal". Another example of the use of bugs in her work was her 1985 piece, ''Dead Bug Book''; upon returning to her and Glass's summer cottage in

Cape Breton Cape Breton Island (, formerly '; or '; ) is a rugged and irregularly shaped island on the Atlantic coast of North America and part of the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. The island accounts for 18.7% of Nova Scotia's total area. Although ...

, Jernigan found the house to be overrun with bug corpses, and rather than throwing them out took the time to collect and draw them for her work. Following her diagnosis with liver cancer, she spent her last weeks developing a seldom-exhibited series of pieces, called ''Vessels'', painting more than 80 watercolor on paper paintings in a span of 2 weeks. The series, features Greco-Roman vases and other simpler containers placed on colorful stages expressing different tones and characteristics about the spaces the objects occupied. Candy Jernigan's work has been featured in the

Dance Theater Workshop Dance Theater Workshop, colloquially known as DTW, was a New York City performance space and service organization for dance companies that operated from 1965 to 2011. DTW merged with the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company to form New York Live ...

in 1985 and 1989, at the Bronx Museum and Lumen Travo in 1987, and posthumously in ''

McSweeney's Quarterly Concern ''Timothy McSweeney's Quarterly Concern'' is an American literary journal, founded in 1998, typically containing short stories, reportage, and illustrations. Some issues also include poetry, comic strips, and novellas. ''The Quarterly Concern'' ...

'', Provincetown Art Association and Museum in 2002, and at the Greene Naftali Gallery in 2014. Her work is included in the permanent collections of the

Whitney Museum of American Art The Whitney Museum of American Art, known informally as "The Whitney", is a Modern art, modern and Contemporary art, contemporary American art museum located in the Meatpacking District, Manhattan, Meatpacking District and West Village neighbor ...

and the

Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago The Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) Chicago is a contemporary art art gallery, museum near Water Tower Place in the Near North Side, Chicago, Near North Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. The museum, which was established in 1967, is on ...

Selected works

Book jacket designs

* ''Corrigan'', by

Lady Caroline Blackwood Lady Caroline Blackwood (born Caroline Maureen Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood; 16 July 1931 – 14 February 1996) was an English writer, socialite, and muse. Her novels have been praised for their wit and intelligence. One of her works is an autobi ...

, Viking (1985), first American edition * ''A Darker Shade of Pale: a Backdrop to Bob Dylan'', by

Wilfrid Mellers Wilfrid Howard Mellers (26 April 1914 – 17 May 2008) was an English music critic, musicologist and composer. Early life Born in Leamington, Warwickshire, Mellers was educated at the local Leamington College and later won a scholarship to Dow ...

, Oxford University Press (1985), first American edition * ''

Rich Like Us ''Rich Like Us'' is a historical and political fiction novel by Nayantara Sahgal. Set in New Delhi during the chaotic time between 1932 and the mid-1970s, it follows the lives of two female protagonists, Rose and Sonali, and their fight to liv ...

'', by

Nayantara Sahgal Nayantara Sahgal (née Pandit; born 10 May 1927) is an Indian writer who writes in English. She is a member of the Nehru–Gandhi family, the second of the three daughters born to Jawaharlal Nehru's sister, Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit. She was award ...

, Heinemann (1985), first American edition * ''Moonshine'', by

, Knopf (1985) * ''In the Moment'', by

Francis Davis Francis John Davis (August 30, 1946 – April 14, 2025) was an American author and journalist known for having been the jazz critic for ''The Village Voice'' and a contributing editor for ''The Atlantic''. He also worked in radio and film, and ...

, Oxford University Press (1986) * ''Robak's Fire'', by Joe L. Hensley, Doubleday (1986) * ''

Horror Wears Blue ''Horror Wears Blue'' is a science fiction novel by American writer Lin Carter, the fifth and last in his "Zarkon, Lord of the Unknown" series. It was first published in hardcover by Doubleday in November 1987. An ebook edition was issued by Thun ...

'', by

Lin Carter Linwood Vrooman Carter (June 9, 1930 – February 7, 1988) was an American author of science fiction and fantasy, as well as an editor, poet and critic. He usually wrote as Lin Carter; known pseudonyms include H. P. Lowcraft (for an H. P. Lov ...

, Doubleday (1987) * ''Vergil in Averno'', by

Avram Davidson Avram Davidson (April 23, 1923 – May 8, 1993) was an American writer of fantasy fiction, science fiction, and crime fiction, as well as the author of many stories that do not fit into a genre niche. He won a Hugo Award and three World Fantasy ...

, Doubleday (1987) * ''Roots of Honor'', by

Shelly Gross Sheldon Harvey Gross (May 20, 1921 – June 19, 2009) was an American producer and promoter of concerts and theatrical performances, who developed a number of venues in suburban areas outside major cities on the East Coast together with Lee Gu ...

, Donald I. Fine (1987) * ''The Nine Bright Shiners'', by Anthea Fraser, Doubleday (1988) * ''Memory of Snow and of Dust'', by

Breyten Breytenbach Breyten Breytenbach (; 16 September 193924 November 2024) was a South African writer, poet, and painter. He became internationally well-known as a dissident poet and vocal critic of South Africa under apartheid, and as a political prisoner of ...

, Farrar Straus Giroux (1989), first American edition * ''King Edward VIII'' by

Philip Ziegler Philip Sandeman Ziegler (24 December 1929 – 22 February 2023) was a British biographer and historian. Background Ziegler was born in Ringwood, Hampshire on 24 December 1929, the son of Louis Ziegler, an Army officer, and Dora Barnwell, a hom ...

, Knopf (1991), first American edition * ''Sheep, Goats and Soap'', by

John Malcolm Major-General Sir John Malcolm GCB, KLS (2 May 1769 – 30 May 1833) was a Scottish soldier, diplomat, East India Company administrator, statesman, and historian. Early life Sir John Malcolm was born in 1769, one of seventeen children of G ...

, C. Scribner & Sons (1991) * ''A Tasty Way to Die'', by

Janet Laurence Janet Laurence (born 4 March 1947) is an Australian artist, based in Sydney, who works in photography, sculpture, video and installation art. Her work is an expression of her concern about environment and ethics, her "ecological quest" as she ...

, Doubleday (1991), first American edition * ''A Journal of the Flood Year'', by David Ely, Donald I. Fine (1992), posthumous release

Album covers

*''The Photographer'', Philip Glass (1984) *''Formal Abandon'', Michael Riesman (1986) *''Dance (nos. 1-5)'', Philip Glass (1988) * ''

Music in Twelve Parts Music in Twelve Parts is a set of twelve pieces written between 1971 and 1974 by the composer Philip Glass. This work cycle was originally scored for ten instruments, played by five musicians: three electric organs, two flutes, four saxophones ( ...

'', Philip Glass (1988) * '' Passages'', Ravi Shankar and Philip Glass (1990)

Compilations and books

* ''Please Save My World: Children Speak Out Against Nuclear War'' (1984) , illustrator * ''Dead Bug Book'' (1985) * ''Pop Tops of the Modern World'' (1985), 6 piece folio, limited printing * ''9 (nine) Unknown Landscapes'' (1986) * ''Evidence : the Art of Candy Jernigan'' (1999) , posthumous compilation

Set design and visuals

*"Snapshots," debut by Ralph Fredericks, directed by Grant King, Provincetown Theater Company, 1978 (set design of cast portraits by Jernigan & Lisbeth Firmin) *"The Richest Girl in the World Finds Happiness", directed by Charles Horne and James Bennett, Provincetown Theater Company, 1979 *" Happy Birthday, Wanda June", directed by Ron Weissenberger, Provincetown Theater Company, 1979 *"State of the Heart", by Cyndi Lee, 1983 *"This Statement Is False (The Liar's Paradox)", by Mary Ellen Strom, 1988 *"Nuts: (homage to Freud)", by Cyndi Lee, 1989, sets and costume design *"The Manson Family: An Opera", by John Moran, 1990

Notes

References

External links

Candy Jernigan
selected works and biography on ArtLinked
Candy Jernigan
MutualArt
Examples of book jackets by Candy Jernigan
Internet Archives {{DEFAULTSORT:Jernigan, Candy 1952 births 1991 deaths 20th-century American women painters 20th-century American painters 20th-century American artists American album-cover and concert-poster artists American contemporary painters American graphic designers American women graphic designers American multimedia artists Artists from New York City Book designers Deaths from liver cancer in New York (state) People from Miami People from Provincetown, Massachusetts People from the East Village, Manhattan Philip Glass Pratt Institute alumni Women multimedia artists Xerox artists