Myspace Layouts - Myspace Editor
I guess it all started with my being raised Christian non-denominational which, as far as I know, is one of the largest Christian denominations around. I guess it's not as familiar as being raised Catholic, though. It also bears no real similarities. From my understanding, Catholics suffer from guilt. Christians suffer from naiveté and overbearing optimism. I am now what you might call a recovering Christian, which isn't to say that I'm an atheist or even an agnostic, but simply that I no longer associate myself with religious denominations. As such, I have experienced a great breaking-down of the ideals I was led to believe in as a kid. The most notable was the ideal of love. My concept of romantic love was paramount and greatly optimistic. However, as an adult I was soon confronted with the rather adverse reality. Exposure to domestic abuse, sexual perversion, male chauvinism, infidelity, and other such common practices has destroyed, to a large degree, my belief in the power of love and revealed in its absence the power of patriarchy. The result of this has been an on going research into the effects of male dominance, particularly the ambivalence with which it is regarded, the simultaneous aesthetic appeal and moral repulsiveness. My art is a reaction to this ambivalence, which exists in myself as well. By using the subject of sex, I attempt to evoke the same dichotomous reaction from the viewer. Therefore, the nudes aren't merely meant to arouse, but also to exploit the darker side of sexual mentality. Mostly women, the nudes are objectified by their clothed, male companions who often represent some form of male iconography, such as greasers, playboys, or grease-ball Italians. Other pieces explore different aspects of love and sex like obsession, lover's lament, and unrequited love by employing crooners and femme fatales. In regards to stylistic execution and medium, I look to my inspirations. Comics, 50's Pinups, Film Noir, and Fashion Illustrations play a strong role in deciding how to arrange a particular scene and how best to use line. I deal mostly in black and white as it has a seedy feel to it and yet is also very classical. P.S. I am also a gun for hire and am looking for any illustrative or promotional work. You can contact me through MySpace or by e-mail ([email protected]) or through my blog (JONOTT.BLOGSPOT.COM)