Studio Sale | Nathan Jones

“In this painting, The Promise of Dawn, I wanted to reduce the compositional elements to a bare minimum: the branch and rosy sunrise are abstracted into crisply defined shapes, the branch being suggestive of Japanese calligraphy. Against this flatness, the realistic bird hovers, expectantly – what will this new day bring?”

Nathan’s paintings combine the rich history of Japanese nineteenth-century woodblock printmaking with the realist oil-painting tradition of Western Art. He borrows the Eastern pictorial devises of simplification, abstraction, and decoration, yet retains the exacting realism found in the West, as he is especially interested in paintings from the Dutch Golden Age. Both the Japanese and Dutch artists frequently depicted birds, flowers, and other natural phenomena – which symbolize the beautiful, yet fleeting, nature of human existence. Both cultures are also interested in the idea of representation itself and the boundary between the real and the fake. Exploring this enticing hinterland between knowing artifice and the illusion of reality continues to be a central theme in all of Nathan’s art. 

Nathan gained an MA in Painting at Wimbledon School of Art in 2004, having previously received a BA (Hons) in Fine Art: Painting at Cheltenham in 2000. He is represented by Hicks Gallery, London, and Mccully & Crane, Rye. His paintings are increasingly sought after by a growing list of private and corporate collectors in London, New York, and Asia. Recently added to the prestigious Soho House permanent collection, his work is now on display in their prominent venue on Dean Street, in Soho, London. His work continues to be displayed widely in public exhibitions, and previous shows include The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition (2014 & 2016) and The Saatchi Gallery (2018). 

www.nathanjonesart.co.uk

@nathanjonesart