A candid interview with artist Jonathon Earl Bowser
Jonathon Earl Bowser, in an engaging and candid interview,
discusses his life, his work, and his unexpected journey into the
world of political intrigue.
How and when did you decide to become an artist? J.E.B.
- At age 8 an unruly doodle accidentally became a pleasing
representational picture; since that "eureka" moment I've always
known I was an artist, and the only thing undecided was exactly
what kind of artist I might become. It is important to understand,
that one does not choose to be an artist. Like being tall or
intelligent, it is something one is or is not. I truly believe
anyone can learn to draw or paint; what is less common is the
desire to draw or paint, the need to spend countless hours in
complete solitude exploring the beckoning frontiers of one's
interior kingdom. And it does not seem like passion that drives the
artist: I do not leap from my bed in the morning and scream, "Today
I must paint...or DIE!" When I wake, I breath and I make art; each
equally essential and equally mundane. How has "Mythic
Naturalism" influenced you personally and how has it influenced
your art? J.E.B. - I devised the term "Mythic
Naturalism" to describe the fundamental duality of the world as I
perceive it, and bring that mysterious interdependent tension to my
work: brutal and gentle, Dionysian primal and Apollonian rational,
landscape and figure, masculine and feminine. Where do your
ideas come from, where do you find inspiration to create these
images? And in reference to this, do you ever have periods of time
where you are blocked artistically and if so how do you overcome
those times? J.E.B. - I'm not sure that anyone knows
where inspiration comes from. It usually happens without warning,
triggered by something I have seen or read, pressing its way into
my consciousness like an expanding bubble. Such moments of
"aesthetic arrest" are very exciting, and when I experience one I
must begin my research into the image obtained immediately. What I
know for certain is that learning as much as I can about my subject
stimulates the imagination to new visions. I believe inspiration is
a mysterious confluence of three influences: the structural
character of the vessel provided to me by my parents' DNA (body and
brain), the empirical contents the world is pouring into that
vessel in the form of knowledge (mind and experience), and one
final little part drawn from that divine magic that moves the
cosmos (God). That's how I think of it anyway, and I seem to have
far more ideas than I can paint. Which artists do you most
admire, or who has most influenced your work and why? J.E.B.
- There are many superb artists who impress me with the
towering magnitude of their technical ability, but none who are
painting the images I want to see. I do indeed wish that I could
paint the landscape with the stunning chromatic accuracy of Clyde
Aspevig, or the visionary insight of Thomas Moran; and I envy the
astonishing realism of William Bouguereau's neoclassical figures,
and the impenetrably intricate designs of Alphonse Mucha's flower
girls and Slave Epics. But they are not influences: only I can find
the poetry of my own experience and perceptions. Among all your
works do you have one or two that are your favorites? And if so,
why? J.E.B. - "The Awakening"; it was a very complex
design which worked out well in the execution, and among my works I
think it comes the closest to touching that transcendent mystery
that inspires my work. But the real answer to which painting is my
favorite is, "the painting I will do next!" Each painting fails the
original vision in some detail, and so I always look forward to the
next one, hoping to see a little farther, a little clearer. Some
of your work, including "The Awakening", was used in a book and
without your permission. Would you tell us a little about what
happened and why you finally chose not to pursue the issue
legally? J.E.B. - Iraqi [ex-]President Saddam Hussein,
perhaps with the assistance of a committee of writers, has
published a novel, Zabibah and the King. As unbelievable as
it may seem, the cover art of Mr. Hussein's new novel is, in fact,
"The Awakening", an oil painting I created in 1998, an image which
has been published as a limited-edition print, and for which I hold
the registered copyright. I certainly did not authorize the Iraqi
President, or anyone else, to publish my work in this way. To state
the matter simply, this printing of Zabibah and the King
(with "The Awakening" on the cover) is a blatant infringement of
copyright. Lawyers have told me that unless and until Saddam
decides to publish and/or distribute his novel in the U.S. (an
unlikely prospect it seems to me) there is no legal action that can
be taken in U.S. courts. Even though the image is indeed protected
by registered copyright. This is fortunate for Mr. Hussein, because
the penalties for infringement are considerable. It is my
understanding that copyright law stipulates the fine for copyright
infringement shall be calculated at a rate of US$500.00 per
infraction, and each and every copy of Zabibah and the King
upon which there is an illegally reproduced image of "The
Awakening" is considered one infraction. According to the Iraq
Press, Zabibah and the King is the best selling book in
Iraq's history: over 1,000,000 copies have been distributed. It is
just over one year since I learned of this truly strange event that
has connected me with one of the most malefic, but nevertheless
significant, figures of recent decades. It is difficult to know
exactly how to respond to such an unbelievable story, and so I
suppose I am perversely flattered and simply appalled. In the wake
of the publicity surrounding the story, some people have wondered
whether some of that media attention might translate into
additional sales. This has not happened. Which came as no surprise
to me because, "One of the favorite artists of the world's most
bloodthirsty dictator!" did not seem like the kind of ad slogan
that would send collectors running for their credit cards.
Copyright is a very important principle that is worth defending,
but this is, it seems, one of those unforeseeable moments where you
just have to shrug and walk away. Perhaps I should feign a
righteous indignation, but the real truth of the matter is that I
have not suffered from Mr. Hussein's actions (not that I'm aware of
anyway); nor have I profited from them. And so what remains is an
absurd, ridiculous story about an infamous tyrant who likes the
work of a little-known painter of peaceful, mysterious women. Mr.
Hussein has, apparently, just published a second novel, The
Fortified Castle; I have to admit, I'd really like to know
what's on the cover... Are you working on any projects at
present and what direction do you see yourself going in the future
artistically? J.E.B. - It has occurred to me that the
somewhat sensual kind of paintings I create might be viewed
differently if they were painted by a significantly older man, and
so I expect the current visual emphasis of my work may evolve into
other elements over the ensuing decades. But I truly love these
images, and have no current plans to do something dramatically
different. I have some personal ideas regarding the true and proper
destiny towards which our civilization should aspire, and some
nagging questions about the mysterious nature of free will. I
expect that these concerns will inform my work for the next decade
or so, along with some less-ambitious images simply meant to be
pretty. Perhaps when I am old and gray, I will retire to a simple
life of landscape painting. Have you tried your hand at digital
art? J.E.B. - Computers have given me the opportunity to
exercise far greater control over the pre-press production process,
and I enjoy having the ability to personally ensure that my
fine-art reproductions are as faithful to the originals as
possible. Adobe Photoshop is a wonderful program, but that is as
far as my interest in computer art goes. If I were to start over
again as a young artist, I would very likely go into computer
graphics. I am as impressed with the computer-generated appearance
of "Lord of the Rings" as everyone else, but I have been an oil
painter too long now, and I am rather attached to the idea of
making beautiful, jewel-like, one-of-a-kind objects. What advice
can you give a young Traditional or Computer Graphic artist?
J.E.B. - One: It is very difficult to be an artist, so you
must paint what you love most in the universe. If you do not love
your work, you will not succeed. Two: Don't listen to anything that
people tell you about art. Art is about the absolute amazement you
feel towards some aspect of the cosmos; it is about the truest and
most sacred nature of your living soul, and the "Only" expert on
the subject is you. The universe will call to you from some secret
place, and you should follow that voice, wherever it leads you.
In closing, is there anything you would like to say to your many
fans? J.E.B. - Thank you for your kind and generous
interest in my work, and I'll do my best in the future to find new
visual poems about the strange and amazing beauty of this
inexplicable place. For more information about the artist please
visit his web site: http://www.jonathonart.com.
About
vshane: "I live in a very small town northwest of
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and am the unwitting artist interviewer
for Renderosity Magazine. I have a bachelor degree in political
science and English (literature), and I'm in the process of
completing my masters degree in Health Ethics. I will begin work on
my second masters, in multi-media technology, this year. Currently,
I'm working on a non-profit website that holds some exciting
possibilities. I hope many of you will visit trevorworks.com (named for our dog
and which is under construction at the moment -- the site, not our
dog!). I have thoroughly enjoyed the artist interviews. I do hope
you have enjoyed them as much as I have!"
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