By Jonathan Barcan

I am investigating the solitary relation that exists among people. It seems as though one goes through their human experience embracing two very distinct paradigms: that of being wholly isolated; the affect of an expanse of the individual’s personal reality, built on things such as memories, personal tastes and preferences, tendencies towards actions, and one’s overall view and relationship with themselves and “their” world around them. This side of human experience is important and tempting, as one realizes that no matter how sophisticated an era is, or to what extent language is developed, every single person has a story much greater, and far more personal than any symbol, series of words strung together, or any other form of communication could possibly delineate. In this sense, we are alone, unable to truly describe sincerely, even vaguely complex emotions or states of being. All that is left, in the majority of instances, is the way that one acts in the world to help describe all that language lacks. In the Sartreian sense of radical freedom, of responsibility, and assuming one’s actions as being “theirs,” this reality is power.

And it is this power that each person shares equally that is the next paradigm: that of being endlessly connected. Perhaps, simply, because this experience of “loneliness” is precisely the thing that binds one with the next, and that renders one intriguing. ‘What is happening inside of you?,’ ‘Could you possibly be feeling what I am feeling?’ And so on. But we are– moving besides each other, communicating silently through body gestures, and endless recognizable signs even more quiet than that, we understand to a certain extent, exactly what we are.

Hey there everyone! In amazing news, I am going to have a piece in a group exhibition at the Today Museum in Beijing, China this coming March. In an effort to be able to afford the travel costs to go and install the piece in person, as well as attend the opening, I am holding a “Send Jonathan Barcan to Beijing Fundraiser.” At the same time, I there will be a raffle of 5 original art works to help support this event. The above photo of my “Figure Study #17,” is one of those raffle items! Please visit: http://barcan2beijing.tumblr.com/ for a full viewing of raffle items, as well as all the details for the up and coming fundraiser. Thank you for all of your support! Warmly, Jonathan

Hey there everyone!

In amazing news, I am going to have a piece in a group exhibition at the Today Museum in Beijing, China this coming March. In an effort to be able to afford the travel costs to go and install the piece in person, as well as attend the opening, I am holding a “Send Jonathan Barcan to Beijing Fundraiser.” At the same time, I there will be a raffle of 5 original art works to help support this event.

The above photo of my “Figure Study #17,” is one of those raffle items!

Please visit:

http://barcan2beijing.tumblr.com/

for a full viewing of raffle items, as well as all the details for the up and coming fundraiser.

Thank you for all of your support!

Warmly,

Jonathan

“Pendulum #14,” Oil on Canvas, 36” x 36”, 2011

“Pendulum #14,” Oil on Canvas, 36” x 36”, 2011

pehdtsckjmba asked: I love your artwork, its so free looking. I tend to box myself in. Lovely:)

thank you so much! i really appreciate your words :)

-jonathan

“Flooded #14,”  36”x 36”, Oil on Canvas, 2011

“Flooded #14,”  36”x 36”, Oil on Canvas, 2011

“Pendulum #1,”   92” x 67”, Oil on Canvas, 2011

“Pendulum #1,”   92” x 67”, Oil on Canvas, 2011

“Figure Study #8,” Walnut Ink on paper, 50” x 65”, 2010

“Figure Study #8,” Walnut Ink on paper, 50” x 65”, 2010

“Figure Study #6,” Ink, Gouache, Watercolor, and Graphite on paper, 50” x 120”, 2010

“Figure Study #6,” Ink, Gouache, Watercolor, and Graphite on paper, 50” x 120”, 2010

“scraping,” acrylic on canvas, 36” x 36”, 2010

“scraping,” acrylic on canvas, 36” x 36”, 2010

“Becoming,” Oil on Canvas, 65” x 40”, 2010

“Becoming,” Oil on Canvas, 65” x 40”, 2010

trial-child asked: Well for one thing, what influences your art? Was there any experiences (you don't have to say if they're personal) or friends/family members that have influences you into what your art is today? Your techniques are really one of a kind and I'm seriously awed at how you used those medias! Thanks so much :) This means so much to me to have an artist like yourself spend time and answer these questions for my report!

well, to be short, i have always been interested in to what extent people relate to one another, and ultimately, this is my deepest fascination.

on a broader sense, i have been influenced by thinkers such as jean-paul sartre, alan watts, guy debord, pablo neruda, jose saramago, and many others.  and from a visual standpoint, i love egon scheile, mark rothko, hanneline rogeberg, eva hesse, zhang huan, song dong, olafur eliasson and many many others.

in my work, i have been recently thinking about modernist ideas of humanism, juxaposed against my own observations of my physical world around me. i love biology and quantum physics, and in an abstract way, my own research in these areas of science greatly informs the body of work that you have seen me post on tumblr over the course of the last year.

some questions i ask myself when thinking about my work: 

Is there any sort of parallel that can be drawn through the pure substance that we’re made and the cultural interactions that we have?

to what extent does one understand the ephemeral uniqueness of our everyday?

 How are we knowingly, or unknowingly,  reacting to our physical and emotional environment?

i hope this helps with your research. please let me know if there’s anything else i can give you, or if there’s any other questions that you have.

best,

jonathan