Jonathan is represented by Joy Fantastic Gallery

He won the RBA (Royal Society of British Artists) Rome Scholarship Award in 2004.

Jonathan has exhibited in London, Cyprus and Sussex and has sold to private collections in Cyprus, Germany, Tenerife and UK.

Statement


My work is about creating abstract paintings that have their own autonomy, aesthetics, mystery, life and history. I love playing with colours, lines, shapes, rhythms and textures to be enjoyed for their own sake. But the work to a degree, is still evocative.

My inspiration comes from places I've experienced – such as the Isle of Skye, North Wales, Cyprus, Rome and the occasional interior at home. Urban and natural landscapes both entice me. I'm visually captivated by colours, nature, ruins, architecture, graffiti and old weathered walls in places. The weather and atmosphere in places, and my emotions affects my work too.

My first childhood dream was to be an archaeologist, so the history in places also influences me, with my work often having an archaeological feel. I was surrounded by antiques at my father's and we visited landscapes with ruins - like the places that inspire me today. My work makes reference to social/ historical changes within a place too.  

My use of ancient runes, alphabets and symbols not only reference a place's history but also I use them as interesting abstract looking forms.

My paintings' irregular edges refers to relics, history, rugged landscapes, giving the look of something organic and also giving the work an autonomous object-like look.

My paintings uses all this information as a basis to then evolve organically using improvisation, building up a rich layered history with acrylics and collage on thick Saunders and Waterford papers, until I am satisfied with the visual excitement I've created as well as evoking a place and which works compositionally.