I recently had the opportunity to sit down with MOCA Jacksonville's newest art installer, Jay Noche, to learn more about him. What follows is the conversation that we had.
How long have you been an art installer, and how long have you been at MOCA?
I've been installing art since April 2013. Not very long. As my only source of income, it's really been less than a year. This is all I do now, though, so I guess I would consider myself a professional art installer. All of that time has been spent at MOCA.
Now, I know the answer to this question because I was involved, but our readers do not. Could you briefly describe how you got started as an art installer?
I was working at [The Plantation at Ponte Vedra Beach] moving things around and setting up events as a house manager, and I got a call from you asking if I would be interested in trying out a couple of jobs as an art installer. I thought it sounded like a fun venture, and as it turns out, it was. It's actually way more interesting than working out in the heat setting up weddings. I've definitely learned a lot more here than I could have at my other job.
What did you do before you became and art installer?
I jump from job to job. Not because I don't know what I want to do, but because when I want to learn something I dive all in and learn everything about it that I can. Once I feel like I've learned everything, then I typically want to move on. I started working as a dishwasher at a country club, and I saw the pride that all the chefs there took in their work. That's when I started getting interested in the culinary arts. The chefs there were very liberal with letting me mess with their knives, and they started to teach me things. Then I moved out of the dish pit, and started working as a line cook. From there, I moved up to assistant pantry chef and then to chef garde manger. Those are cold food preparation jobs, and that's pretty much what I did until I left for my journey into law enforcement. So then I acquired that law enforcement skill set with theJacksonville Sheriff's Office Police Academy, but I just happened to graduate at the wrong time in 2008. The housing market collapse really affected the job market for police officers, so I couldn't find any work. That's when I went back to the same country club to work as a house manager, setting up events and stuff. I also worked a brief stint as that country club's IT network specialist, because of my aptitude for technology and networking as a kid. I also had a successful event photography business on the side. I mean, I'm good at picking things up quickly and learning a lot about them. I'm a perpetual learner, so I've had a lot of jobs.
What was your favorite exhibition that we have shown here at MOCA?
I would have to say SLOW [2013]. That was the show that was up when I first started here. I liked a lot of the dark rooms, and the dark imagery that we had. You know, that is the kind of work that I enjoy. I'm not really into the big flowery, super-hyper-colorful everything. I like dark works. I remember my favorite piece from that show was the decomposing rabbit by Sam Taylor-Johnson [A Little Death]. I also liked the piece with the tree by David Claerbout. [Ruurlo, Borculoscheweg]. It reminded me of my own life. My grandfather's house in St. Marys, Georgia, the house I grew up in, looked like that. I started thinking about the families that would have lived there before me, and how time goes by and the people change, but that house always stayed the same. That piece really connected with me.
Do you have a favorite installation experience from here at MOCA?
I would say that working on those beams for Angela Glajcar's piece, Terforation, was my most memorable. I learned a lot about myself then. I thought I was not afraid of heights, but that install showed me that everybody is afraid of things to a certain degree. I've been in helicopters and planes and things, but being up three stories high on a wobbly lift with a beam that weighs 150 pounds and another person moving around with you, it was pretty scary. That was a moment when I realized what goes into monumental art-making. I realized that you have to have some technical skills in order to make sure that the art stays safe, and the people viewing it are also safe. That showed me how important planning and design are to this job.
When you are not installing art, what do you do?
I've been traveling a lot. I've been doing a lot of research into investing, and I spend a lot of time with my two dogs, Colt and Jin Jin. I've also been riding motorcycles a lot now, too.
During your travels, do you get the chance to visit a lot of art museums?
Oh yeah. That has become my favorite part of traveling. I like going to different museums and seeing how they have the artworks on display, and, going back into my law enforcement background, I like to look at how everything is protected. I look at all the camera systems, what the security staff is doing. I also like to see how labels are put up and the lighting is done in the gallery.
So the work you do now has changed the way you view museums?
Yeah. For sure. It gives me a deeper appreciation for places like [MOCA Jacksonville], because I know what the inner workings are. I know how art is handled, and how tedious the work can be, and how painstaking the care of the art really is. Before I started here, I didn't think about any of that stuff. And now when I see art on the wall, I see the work in its totality.
Do you have a childhood hero, and who was it?
If anything it would be my grandfather and my dad. They were both military people, and they sacrificed a lot for me to have a chance to be here in America. If they didn't do the things that they did to try to get a better life for their family, I wouldn't be here now. The only reason that I even have the option to be a vagabond right now is because of them. That's why they fought so hard, so that I could have freedom and options. Because when they was growing up, they didn't have any.
What is your spirit animal?
This is going to sound really funny, but a sloth. I like them because they're chill. They just want to get by, and not piss anybody off, and because they aren't jerks. They take their time, and are calculated. I think that's a lot like me. I mean, that's on the spot, but maybe if I had more time I could think of something a little less boring.
Do you have any projects that you are working on that you are excited about?
Other than getting married, not really. My main project is helping my fiancée with our wedding. I've been considering getting back into making my own work again, but I'm just enjoying the easy life now.
Many congratulations to you on your engagement! I hope everything goes smoothly there. I want to thank you for sitting down with me. I have really enjoyed getting to know more about you.