Wellsville transplant finds inspiration along river
Gigi Janko stands in front of the remains of several burnt structures that she is disassembling along Riverside Avenue in Wellsville for a longitudinal work of art. (Special to the Review/Stephanie Ujhelyi)
This municipal riverside block, which serves as Gigi Janko’s canvas, is only several blocks from the Wellsville Fire Department, where she serves as a volunteer firefighter. Janko came to Wellsville several years ago after finding several burned structures online and purchasing them, including an abandoned church to the left (which serves as an indoor studio of sorts), and the scorched structure to the right. Not afraid to get her hands dirty, most days one can find her disassembling the burned structures and laying out the pieces in this canvassed foreground, where they will eventually find their way into her latest longitudinal art presentation. (Special to the Review/Stephanie Ujhelyi).
These pieces of charred debris are laid out in front of this burnt structure along Riverside Avenue in Wellsville by artist Gigi Janko with precision as she seeks to incorporate them into her latest sculpture. (Special to the Review/Stephanie Ujhelyi)
Artist Gigi Janko admires the brickwork inside one of the charred structures that she is disassembling by hand as part of her latest sculpture on her Wellsville riverside compound. (Special to the Review/Stephanie Ujhelyi)
Artist Gigi Janko works in the interior of a nearby Wellsville church structure, where she stores some of her materials from the outside elements. (Special to the Review/Stephanie Ujhelyi)
Gigi Janko stands in front of the remains of several burnt structures that she is disassembling along Riverside Avenue in Wellsville for a longitudinal work of art. (Special to the Review/Stephanie Ujhelyi)
This municipal riverside block, which serves as Gigi Janko’s canvas, is only several blocks from the Wellsville Fire Department, where she serves as a volunteer firefighter. Janko came to Wellsville several years ago after finding several burned structures online and purchasing them, including an abandoned church to the left (which serves as an indoor studio of sorts), and the scorched structure to the right. Not afraid to get her hands dirty, most days one can find her disassembling the burned structures and laying out the pieces in this canvassed foreground, where they will eventually find their way into her latest longitudinal art presentation. (Special to the Review/Stephanie Ujhelyi).
These pieces of charred debris are laid out in front of this burnt structure along Riverside Avenue in Wellsville by artist Gigi Janko with precision as she seeks to incorporate them into her latest sculpture. (Special to the Review/Stephanie Ujhelyi)
Artist Gigi Janko admires the brickwork inside one of the charred structures that she is disassembling by hand as part of her latest sculpture on her Wellsville riverside compound. (Special to the Review/Stephanie Ujhelyi)
Artist Gigi Janko works in the interior of a nearby Wellsville church structure, where she stores some of her materials from the outside elements. (Special to the Review/Stephanie Ujhelyi)
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WELLSVILLE - Two years ago, a young woman was looking for adventure and found it while browsing the real estate listings online.
Gigi Janko never expected that she would find herself ripping apart remnants of fire-ravaged structures one block from village hall to assemble her latest work of art.
Not too bad for a woman who had returned to school, graduating college at age 17, after having to drop out in seventh grade.
"I had a tad unconventional educational experience," she recalled while sitting at a riverside picnic table. She recounted how several years after dropping out in middle school that she enrolled in the inaugural year of a pilot program at Bard College at Simon's Rock in Barrington, Mass. A pricey residential liberal arts college, the program allowed her to start college early and put a tremendous focus on the student's love for learning and academics. Although she had started with the pursuit of mathematics, Janko found her true calling in the study of fine art - particularly dance and ceramics.
The college prides itself on allowing students to "explore the subjects they love" unlike conventional colleges.
Before moving to Wellsville two years ago, she had worked as a semi-professional dancer in New York City. Once here, she joined the Wellsville Volunteer Fire Department, where she currently is on live for completion of her project.
She described this latest work as a longitudinal sculpture, which includes salvaged items from the properties within several blocks in Wellsville.
"I didn't really have a direction for my next project; however, I found this listing online and the price was right," she said.
After visiting Wellsville and seeing the properties, which are located along Riverside Avenue, she decided to go with it.
In addition to the large scale visible pieces that ultimately will be included in the sculpture, she acknowledged that some other pieces represent a very important cross-section that she will include in the final product. This could included photos, fabrics and ceramic tiles made from 3D prints as well as recorded conversation over the last year with her mother, Cressey Belden.
Whether wood or brick from her properties - many fire ravaged - items will find their way into the sculpture. She owns properties at 103 11th St., 1021 Riverside Ave. (where she expects the work will be located), 1034 and 1036 Main St. and 402 Ninth St, according to the Columbiana County Auditor's website.
Janko uses the former Immaculate Conception Church, which she also now owns, as a makeshift studio. Glancing around the church interior, one views magnificent stained glass windows that remind visitors of its former life as well as pallets filled with art history slides, melted DVDs that survived the blaze and power tools.
She never envisioned that she would someday be mastering them.
"When I got here, I couldn't even use a drill. Now you see me most days (wielding) a crowbar and sledgehammer," she added.
Her working title for her project is "Gratified Bulimia," which includes not only the remnants showcased in the final sculpture but the entire "performance," which includes inventory of diets, ingredients, games, essential oils, religions, photos and games as well as ceramic tiles made from 3D prints.
Boarding guests will stay in the neighboring white house until the performance concludes, enjoying open tea with the baked goods generated from the performance, where she will bake recipes selected from as many different sources she can find.
"First, I would like to say that I don't make autobiographical art. It is made of the world but is a world of its own. All components are a part of the sculpture. The performance is the lifetime of the sculpture - like its pulse," she concluded. "Fundamentally all elements compose the sculpture's anatomy. I am a sculptor."
Janko hopes that she will have the work complete in fall of 2023.