Jon Wassom – Featured Artist
Unwritten
about her in some time.
the remaining
tokens fragmented
and chipping like
a statue in an
part of town.
everything withers
over time.
unwritten puzzles
undoing itself
like snakeskin.
an old plum
sits on the windowsill.
amnesia is the palace
for the observed.
maybe
again. maybe
in a dream, and
we’ll be conjoined
through me
and our subconscious.
shadows in
the voice is a skinned
onion. warbled.
and these thoughts
remaining,
an apple in the sky
away from
by LORIN DREXLER
Jon
I have always been drawn to movement, music, and the arts. I would consider myself a very versatile artist, and I believe it is because of my diverse experiences growing up. I have been described by many people as a “Renaissance Man.” Starting as early as six, I focused on learning to play musical instruments such as the piano, trumpet, mellophone, french horn, and snare drum. I received my black belt in Tae Kwon Do. I’ve always enjoyed flying through the air, so I became a gymnast for 8 years, then switched to diving in high school, placing 4th at state.
It wasn’t until I was 16 that I found my passion for painting and drawing. I was fortunate enough to be the first person in the Springville, Utah Museum of Art’s History to receive a Master’s award in the All-State High School show two years in a row. There are only 4 awards in the state given out. One of the pieces was purchased by a museum curator. I also was published in 2001 in The Artist’s Magazine for winning The Artist on the Rise competition in the Experimental Category. Surprisingly, I won out of 13,000 entries.
After graduating High School, I became interested in figure skating. Once again, I found myself flying through the air. This was due to watching the Olympians practice for the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City. Within a few years, I got to perform in the Sun Valley, Idaho Ice Show with World and Olympic Champions.
I attended college at Utah State University and was awarded a full-tuition art scholarship in 2002. In 2006, I was able to apprentice under the well-known artist and Yale graduate Woody Shepherd. He was my professor at the time, and I was taught most of what I know in terms of stenciling, color theory, additive/subtractive processes, and the freedom of exploration. I was also fortunate to learn how to build structurally sound panels.
Ever since I’ve been able to work as a full-time artist in the Washington D.C. and Baltimore areas. I was also given the opportunity to jury a show for Touchstone Gallery in D.C. titled “Art on the Small Side.” While being a gallery member there, I was selected for a commission by Lexus Hybrid Living as the premier artist in a Fairmont Hotel Suite in D.C. The entire suite was designed around my work. Everything was in black and white, except for the color of my work on the walls. I found out afterward, that celebrities such as Nicolas Cage have stayed there. My work was also published in Spaces, in the Summer of 2008 issue.
I moved to Phoenix, AZ, in 2010 to train in pairs figure skating. I also attended massage therapy school and have worked as a Licensed Massage Therapist. My experience with athletic and artistic movement, as well as the anatomy of the human body, strongly influences my work. Various spiritual concepts are also a major influence. The artists that influence my work are vast and many, but to name a few are: Richard Diebenkorn, Gustav Klimt, Rembrandt, Euan Uglow, R.B. Kitaj, Claude Monet, Edward Hopper, Jackson Pollock, Gerhard Richter, and Vincent Van Gogh.
Currently, I reside in Salt Lake City, UT, with my wonderful husband, Felipe, and our dogs, Jax and Leena. I’m gratefully living a life I never dreamed of as a full-time artist. I just successfully completed my sixth solo show in my career thus far.
What is Gen Society?
Gen Society is an art space blog for visual art and creative writing collaborations, and other randomizations. Hosted by writer and musician Lorin Drexler, this online venue is an expressive experience for those interested in the world of the arts. It is a literary journey through the hearts and minds of contemporary artists in practice and a reflection of those that have long passed.
If you’re an artist and would like to submit your work in consideration to collaborate with Gen Society, please click below:
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