Today we’d like to introduce you to Jason John.
Hi Jason, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I started at a local Community College. I knew nothing about art, so this was a good place to be. Most of my classes there were academically oriented. My training at this institution provided me with a solid foundation in drawing from the outset. I then began private training with a teacher from this school. His name is Anthony Waichulis. I studied with him on and off again for a few years while finishing my BFA. In 2002, I started graduate school.
It was during graduate school that I truly learned the importance of developing a conceptual direction. My thesis involved representations of the apocalypse in painting and drawing. At this time, I did not have figures in my work. It wasn’t until after graduate school that I incorporated the figure. I am glad I made this move.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
No career in the arts is a smooth road. There are lots of ups and downs. Lots of rejection along the way. I have always been persistent in my vision, but it has evolved. As a university professor, teaching has always been a significant part of my professional practice. When I started teaching full-time in 2010, I had a clear vision of what I wanted.
After teaching for over 20 years, I have experienced numerous ups and downs in my career. I have had many good opportunities, as well as some that were not so good. I have had work stolen and the like. I am sorry to say this, but this kind of thing is relatively normal in the arts. You live and learn. Contracts are essential, but most of all, you have to develop instincts. You must learn to distinguish between whom you can trust and whom you cannot.
I used to keep my art and teaching somewhat separate, but over time, I realized they have become much more intertwined. A part of this is the amount of time that goes into being an academic, aside from your creative life. You need to learn to balance your workload and maintain high energy levels. Sometimes this required you to walk away from everything for a week or so. There is a lot of jumping between the two parts of your career. You have to get used to such transitions and keep working.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a portrait painter who specializes in the development of personal identity. For the most part, I paint in oil on polyester. At times, I do work with other mediums such as printmaking and encaustics. I do love oil paints the most for their ability to be systematically layered in a relatively short period. Currently, I am working to integrate the figures into an environment where they do not take precedence over each other. I am not the first person to do this, but it sets my work apart. It is challenging to represent a figure without personhood and personal narrative being the primary focus of the work.
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
One of my favorites is swinging in my backyard around the age of four or five. I have multiple memories of this and some I am not even sure if they are real. The lighting was so beautiful.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jasonjohnart.com
- Instagram: jcjohnpaint
