ALBERT LEE JONES

Albert Lee's professional career as an artist spans more than 40 years, beginning as a technical illustrator, in 1968, with NASA's George C. Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama. In later years, after tenures with other government and corporate concerns, Al formed and operated a marketing and advertising agency, for 15 years, in Greenville, South Carolina and Augusta, Georgia. His agency's impressive client list includes leading national and international corporations such as Phillips Fibers; Flour Daniel International; Sud Chemie; Dana Corporation; Rieter Corporation; Robert Bosch; Litchfield, Inc.; Bosh & Lomb; The Cliffs at Glassy Golf Resort; Public Broadcasting; University of South Carolina; Duke Power Company; Symtech Systems and Technology, Inc.; DeMint Marketing, Inc.; among many others. After 9-11-2001, Al redirected his abilities and joined the Department of Defense as a civil service visual information specialist, serving with the Naval Educational Training and Professional Development Command, Pensacola, Florida; US Air Force, Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Illinois; Headquarters USAF, Pentagon, Washington, DC; and presently as visual information specialist with Department of Defense, Washington Headquarters Services, Pentagon, Washington, DC.

Albert Lee's artistic abilities were realized at an early age. During his childhood years, innate awareness to the world around him laid the foundation for development of an appreciation for, and perception of, aesthetic principles. As a young artist, Al came to realize that the key to a successful work of art is the understanding and application of basic design principles. He believes the fundamental principles of design are expressed with perfect harmony and balance in nature, from which man's design and/or creative concepts are either directly or indirectly derived. He loves the challenge of exploring the unknown. His affinity for conquering new phenomena fuels the diversity in his artistic expression. This innate affection is evident in his use of various media, including: watercolor, oils, acrylic, casein, tempera, pencil, charcoal, and pen and ink. Al's artistic career encompasses fine, commercial, technical, and industrial arts, as well as 2D and 3D design, pottery, photography, multimedia, and video. In his more than 40 year career, as a professional, some of his more outstanding artistic works include: oil portraits, land and seascapes, large scale murals, dioramas, various advertising and fashion illustration, architectural delineations, technical illustration, advertising design, as well as, model, display, and diorama design and fabrication.

Beginning 1968, Albert Lee served several years as a visual artist for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), where he earned the position of staff artist for the executive staff of world renowned Dr. Werner von Braun. In this position, along with a few handpicked artists, he illustrated proposed space hardware for such farsighted programs as the "Space Shuttle" Space Station" and "Mars Landing Mission" The "Mars Mission Report" along with artistic works, was submitted to congress by vice president Agnew in 1969. Visuals from the project appeared worldwide in various books, magazines, and newspapers. The group also prepared paintings to be used by network television during NASA's Lunar Lander program, 1969 (Man on the Moon Mission). Al was one of three artists selected to design and implement the first 3D displays and other visuals in NASA's original Space Science Museum--constructed to display the "Lunar Landing Craft" "Moon Rock," and a variety of space gear from the program.

In 1984 Albert Lee was commissioned to design and implement three large biblical dioramas and assist with displays and photographic visuals (depicting the history of Judaism beginning 1,500 B.C. -- "The Land, The People, and The Book" and the "Holocaust" of W.W. II) for the Messianic Center Museum, Chattanooga, Tennessee. One of his many painting commissions over the years includes four large landscapes (4 1/2 ft. x 6 1/2 ft.) for the then (1996) newly constructed Duke Power facility in Greenville, South Carolina.

Albert Lee is past president of the Greenville Artists Guild, Greenville, SC; a
former member, board of directors, Greenville County Museum of Art, Greenville, SC; Greater Greenville and Greater Spartanburg Chambers of Commerce in South Carolina; Better Business Bureau of the Foothills. SC; Greater United Way Community Awareness Committee, Greenville, SC; Metropolitan Arts Council (MAC PAC), Greenville, SC; Sertoma International; Executive Association of Greenville, SC; Round Towner's Volunteer Group, Greenville, SC; Civic Arts League, Chattanooga, TN; Tennessee Artists Association; Board of Directors, Augusta Care Pregnancy Center, Augusta, GA; "Who's Who Registry of Global Business Leaders" (1993-97); Kiwanis Club, Augusta, GA; The Greater Augusta Advertising Club, Augusta, GA; Augusta State University Faculty Club; International Who's Who of Entrepreneurs; Huntsville Art League and Huntsville Museum of Art, Huntsville, AL; St. Louis, MO, Symphony Volunteer Association; and U.S. Air Force Artists' Program, managed by the Secretary of the Air Force.

As a teacher, over the years, Al has taught both fine and graphic arts, as an adjunct professor, at university and college levels, as well as privately, beginning in 1976.

Artist's Comment:

As an eclectic experimentalist, the body of my work reflects various forms of
artistic expression (including realism, abstraction and impressionism) and medias (painting, drawing, construction, three dimension, pottery, graphics, photography, multimedia, and video). Basic design principles (balance, rhythm, harmony, repetition, contrast, etc.) and formalism are fundamental in the exploratory stage of the creative process. Regardless of the challenge, I use a formalistic approach in the design and depiction of phenomena. Therefore, a large degree of time is given to studying the outstanding qualities of the subject matter's formal values and how they will best express themselves within the intended composition.

Conceptualizing the structural form of a visual experience (both subjectively and objectively) and then interpreting that experience with appropriate design
principles are essential to any successful work of art. When this approach is taken, possibilities for the development of creative processes are endless. Experimentation with design serves as a vehicle of change and growth for the artist, a vehicle that prevents creativity from becoming stale and provides cohesiveness for the visual experience. It matters not what statement the artist is attempting to make‚ "structured or unstructured" if the work is to be successfully executed, it must employ good design. All lasting art forms (whether visual, performing, or musical) will contain one or more principles of design (found in nature). It is my belief that God's creation is the source from which the artist draws (directly or indirectly) in the execution of his or her artistic expression. As one of my most respected mentors, Emory Bopp, has said: "art is a means of fashioning forms from dreams and imaginations, of learning more of the infinite beauty with which God has surrounded us in His creation." Nature not only provides a vast and endless reservoir of infinite beauty that can send the artistic imagination soaring, but it can serve as an endless source for creative stimuli.

To produce an "enduring" work (apart from historical, political, or social implications) the artist must employ one or more principles of design and a degree of formality. Design principles and design elements (value, color, texture, shape, space, etc.) provide endless possibilities for subjective and objective interpretation of subject matter, as well as creative energy for the artist.

Email: ajones1130@aol.com