Jon Elliott: Interview

Did you pursue art in higher education and was it a positive experience?
I received an MFA in Painting/Printmaking at RISD in 2001. It was a positive experience in several ways. It was good to be thrown into a mix of fairly ambitious artists and forced to evaluate what I was trying to do. It was also an avenue to getting a little closer to the artworld I wanted to be a part of.

What influences (art or otherwise) guide your work processes and/or ideas today?
I’ve always been influenced by the things I read. I try to keep up with the “nature of reality” type philosophical ideas in physics and mathematics. I’ve read a few good theory of consciousness books too. Pattern and geometry have always grabbed my attention. I’m influenced by the ways humanity has used patterns and geometry to try to visually describe ideas about reality. The use of complex geometric patterning in art has increased in the last several decades, probably as we’ve all been influenced by the exponential rise of computer technology, and question what it all means.

Is there a specific concept behind your work (in this body of work presented) and how does the material/media express those ideas?
I’m always on the move in my painting practice and my ideas evolve fairly quickly, but there are core concepts that have always been a part of what I do. From the time I began to consider myself an artist, at some point in the mid-late 90s, I’ve been trying to express visual ideas revolving around geometric patterning and how these ideas can help us understand the world around us, and how we interact with this world and each other. Looking back, I see how much getting my first computer, and getting internet access (through AOL,) sometime around ‘95 or ‘96, was a huge influence on my life. I was able to use the internet to explore underground music and art that I didn’t have access to otherwise. I was able to discover many aspects of European and American underground electronic music, and I delved into digital visual culture as well. I definitely played around with early photoshop, and some of the early electronic music production programs for personal computers that were beginning to develop. The ideas and inspirations that came out of these explorations continue to be core ideas and inspirations today.

Describe your studio processes. Has this evolved over time or stayed consistent?
My processes are always evolving and changing my visual ideas. The changes happen fast enough that I can’t always describe what I’m doing to others when I’m in the midst of one of these process alterations. Taking on new processes always changes how my paintings look. The loss of some elements and the gaining of others changes the metaphors involved in the paintings. It sometimes takes a little time to figure out how to talk about the new paintings.

Do you envision working in other media or with other kinds of art materials?
I work in ceramics, as well as several other mediums. I’ve also put together larger installations of painted panels, and handmade paper that interact more with spaces. I also still dabble in music making.

Do you think about making work connected to a larger societal or political issue?  
For about 8-9 years during the 2000s I spent a lot of time in my studio making work that responded to larger social and political issues, and trying to connect this work to the outside world and make it mean something and make a difference. But it’s a hard road when the Societal and Political environment is so odious. It just ended up creating a lot of dissonant feedback. I spent a lot of time being frustrated. So for the last 12-13 years I have avoided overt political content and social criticism in my paintings. I don’t think we can avoid political and social issues in our lives, but we can choose what we want to highlight about life in our art.

How do you navigate the professional art industry, entering juried exhibitions, applying for other opportunities? What has your experience been with these experiences?
I used to apply for some types of opportunities, but rarely juried exhibitions. I rarely apply for anything lately. Right now I just take things as they come. I think it can be important for artists to apply for as many things as possible, as long as they’re free or inexpensive to apply, and I’m sure I’ll start back up at some point.

Do you think about trends in the global art market and does this affect your intentions as an artist?
I usually find out about most of the popular and more under-the-radar trends in art and music. I don’t think much about these trends, and they don’t affect me in any way, unless they involve ideas I find inspiring.

Do you have a network of other artists and has this been helpful for your career?
Definitely, I think the network of artists I have basically defines whatever career I have. I have good art friends and colleagues.

What have critics and collectors said about your work? Have your artist peers/ family/friends provided feedback on your work?
I think people have been mostly positive when talking to me about my work. It is rare for people, especially other artists, to give feedback unless you specifically ask for it, especially negative feedback. Most people would never give negative feedback unsolicited, even critics. So when you do get unsolicited feedback, either positive or negative, it shows that the work has affected them enough for them to actually say something.

How do you manage a work-life balance as an artist? Describe your ideal working environment.
I live and work in the same space, so I’m surrounded by, and in some ways I am living in my art practice all the time. This is fairly ideal for me, but I could use more space for large works. I share a studio with my wife and daughter, which is nice. But there are limitations in the arrangement. Thinking about, and dreaming about ideal working environments is a fun pastime.

If you weren’t living a life as an artist, what else would imagine doing? Any other particular interests?
Maybe I’d be a writer or musician? These are two things I’m interested in, but somehow didn’t choose

Jon Elliott: Interview

Did you pursue art in higher education and was it a positive experience?
I received an MFA in Painting/Printmaking at RISD in 2001. It was a positive experience in several ways. It was good to be thrown into a mix of fairly ambitious artists and forced to evaluate what I was trying to do. It was also an avenue to getting a little closer to the artworld I wanted to be a part of.

What influences (art or otherwise) guide your work processes and/or ideas today?
I’ve always been influenced by the things I read. I try to keep up with the “nature of reality” type philosophical ideas in physics and mathematics. I’ve read a few good theory of consciousness books too. Pattern and geometry have always grabbed my attention. I’m influenced by the ways humanity has used patterns and geometry to try to visually describe ideas about reality. The use of complex geometric patterning in art has increased in the last several decades, probably as we’ve all been influenced by the exponential rise of computer technology, and question what it all means.

Is there a specific concept behind your work (in this body of work presented) and how does the material/media express those ideas?
I’m always on the move in my painting practice and my ideas evolve fairly quickly, but there are core concepts that have always been a part of what I do. From the time I began to consider myself an artist, at some point in the mid-late 90s, I’ve been trying to express visual ideas revolving around geometric patterning and how these ideas can help us understand the world around us, and how we interact with this world and each other. Looking back, I see how much getting my first computer, and getting internet access (through AOL,) sometime around ‘95 or ‘96, was a huge influence on my life. I was able to use the internet to explore underground music and art that I didn’t have access to otherwise. I was able to discover many aspects of European and American underground electronic music, and I delved into digital visual culture as well. I definitely played around with early photoshop, and some of the early electronic music production programs for personal computers that were beginning to develop. The ideas and inspirations that came out of these explorations continue to be core ideas and inspirations today.

Describe your studio processes. Has this evolved over time or stayed consistent?
My processes are always evolving and changing my visual ideas. The changes happen fast enough that I can’t always describe what I’m doing to others when I’m in the midst of one of these process alterations. Taking on new processes always changes how my paintings look. The loss of some elements and the gaining of others changes the metaphors involved in the paintings. It sometimes takes a little time to figure out how to talk about the new paintings.

Do you envision working in other media or with other kinds of art materials?
I work in ceramics, as well as several other mediums. I’ve also put together larger installations of painted panels, and handmade paper that interact more with spaces. I also still dabble in music making.

Do you think about making work connected to a larger societal or political issue?  
For about 8-9 years during the 2000s I spent a lot of time in my studio making work that responded to larger social and political issues, and trying to connect this work to the outside world and make it mean something and make a difference. But it’s a hard road when the Societal and Political environment is so odious. It just ended up creating a lot of dissonant feedback. I spent a lot of time being frustrated. So for the last 12-13 years I have avoided overt political content and social criticism in my paintings. I don’t think we can avoid political and social issues in our lives, but we can choose what we want to highlight about life in our art.

How do you navigate the professional art industry, entering juried exhibitions, applying for other opportunities? What has your experience been with these experiences?
I used to apply for some types of opportunities, but rarely juried exhibitions. I rarely apply for anything lately. Right now I just take things as they come. I think it can be important for artists to apply for as many things as possible, as long as they’re free or inexpensive to apply, and I’m sure I’ll start back up at some point.

Do you think about trends in the global art market and does this affect your intentions as an artist?
I usually find out about most of the popular and more under-the-radar trends in art and music. I don’t think much about these trends, and they don’t affect me in any way, unless they involve ideas I find inspiring.

Do you have a network of other artists and has this been helpful for your career?
Definitely, I think the network of artists I have basically defines whatever career I have. I have good art friends and colleagues.

What have critics and collectors said about your work? Have your artist peers/ family/friends provided feedback on your work?
I think people have been mostly positive when talking to me about my work. It is rare for people, especially other artists, to give feedback unless you specifically ask for it, especially negative feedback. Most people would never give negative feedback unsolicited, even critics. So when you do get unsolicited feedback, either positive or negative, it shows that the work has affected them enough for them to actually say something.

How do you manage a work-life balance as an artist? Describe your ideal working environment.
I live and work in the same space, so I’m surrounded by, and in some ways I am living in my art practice all the time. This is fairly ideal for me, but I could use more space for large works. I share a studio with my wife and daughter, which is nice. But there are limitations in the arrangement. Thinking about, and dreaming about ideal working environments is a fun pastime.

If you weren’t living a life as an artist, what else would imagine doing? Any other particular interests?
Maybe I’d be a writer or musician? These are two things I’m interested in, but somehow didn’t choose