Chicago-based artist Jonathan Gardner’s work is like a breath of modern painting’s air. Drawing elements from Matisse, Picasso and Magritte, the artist moves between representational and figurative imagery, while surrealism has influenced his content and compositions.
His figures are melancholic characters, deep into their thoughts and the extravagant situations they’re into. Their nudity is there only to add mystery to their psyche, rather than to reveal their vulnerabilities or their sensuality. Their cold, stiff bodies can be seen as humorous depictions, with their everyday actions adding to the artist’s intentions, as it looks like that even playing tennis is challenge for these strange characters.
