Jonathon Downing
The July Collection: Sunlight
An Interview with Curator Jonathon Downing
“Artists and the plants that produce beans are more similar than most realize; they need soil, space, water, air, and sunlight in order to grow. Collect Bean was founded to give emerging creatives a platform to showcase their talent, personally introduce themselves to a wider audience, and grow both professionally and artistically. Teaming with one of my first supporters in, Marlee Katz Snow, I have curated a collection that features some of the best young talent in the business, and I believe each of them will do great things. Every artist was chosen because of their undeniable uniqueness and rich amount of talent. They all have an original aesthetic and an original viewpoint, bringing something fresh to the table that is entirely theirs. I am beyond fortunate to have the opportunity to support this group of artists pushing the visual arts forward in incredibly exciting ways. Those who came before us made the soil. Marlee has built the space. Our medium of choice is our water, and our passion is the air we breathe. That final element, the exposure that each artist needs to grow, is gifted to us by all of you. May all of the phenomenal artists in this collection flourish in the Sunlight.” — Jonathon Downing
Collect Bean: What about this group of artists compelled you to curate them together?
Jonathon Downing: Every one of these artists has such a unique take on painting. Each of them has their own style, and their own voice, and I think that’s the most important thing for any artist, especially emerging ones. Having an original aesthetic is the main thing I look for with any artist I become a fan of. I wanted to get a mix of emerging artists who are more established and ones who are at the beginnings of their professional careers, allowing all of us who are deeper into our careers to give a push to the other artists while simultaneously elevating each other artistically.
Collect Bean: How has your taste evolved, especially while developing friendships with other artists?
Jonathon Downing: I used to like low-brow pop surrealism and classical realism, but my taste has gone more in the direction of contemporary figurative work created with unique techniques and aesthetics, such as airbrush, drip painting, multiplicity, and interesting photo manipulation turned into a painting, as well as anime and manga-inspired work. Manga was a huge part of my childhood, and it’s interesting how the interests of our younger selves can come back around and re-establish themselves in our present artistic tastes.
Collect Bean: What do you want people to take away from viewing this exhibition?
Jonathon Downing: I want people to come away from this collection with new insight about exciting painters they haven’t seen before, more insight into the ones they already know, and examples of how diverse contemporary representational painting can be. There are a million ways to create representational work, and it doesn’t have to exist in our reality. Each of these artists has created their own world yet interacts with each other and visual culture at large in many ways. It’s inspiring to see.
Collect Bean: Could you tell us more about the title, Sunlight, and how it resonates with you?
Jonathon Downing: Sunlight refers to the main goal of Collect Bean, and especially this show: promoting artistic growth. Plants and artists need sunlight to grow, and the sunlight is given to us by our audience and our peers. I brought this group together so that we can elevate and inspire each other artistically and professionally, and we have done that. Everyone is putting out the best work of their careers, and to know that I played a role in that is one of the most rewarding things I have done with my work.
Collect Bean: What gets you excited about discovering a new artist? What are you looking for?
Jonathon Downing: The best thing about discovering a new artist is to see how they progress, and it's a privilege to have met some of these painters so early in their careers. They have progressed and found their visual brand in such a short amount of time it’s kinda crazy. The artists with an established brand continue to explore new aesthetics and concepts in very interesting ways, which is important. Evolving your aesthetic, keeping it fresh but still undeniably yours, inspires me. It's tough to find that balance, but they’re making it happen, and it's great to see.
