Artist
Jonathan Schofield
Jonathan Schofield was born near Manchester and now lives and works in London. He studied Fine Art at The Royal College of Art under Peter Doig in 1996. His work has been exhibited at the Royal Academy and he is part of their permanent collection. Jonathan has since fused his interest for art and fashion, running his own art direction agency, whilst continuing to paint from his studio in Hackney.
Jonathan's Style
His lyrical yet expressive paintings are drawn from memory; inspired by dreams and a variety of cross-referential imagery archived in his mind. A talented colourist, he takes inspiration from the likes of Matisse and Picasso yet he also draws on motifs from trips to the Mediterranean and from the everyday. Jonathan’s work is just as much about capturing an object or a person, as it is about viscerally representing what is depicted.
The final piece is often thick with paint or oil stick. Remnants of smudges and handprints create ghostly marks across the page like fading memories. Works have clearly been pinned to the wall in a frenzy of creativity. This is what makes the work so interesting. Take the simplicity of the lemon for example - Jonathan makes us not only rejoice in their colour and the composition, but at looking at this series, we almost feel present during his process - Jonathan’s passion and energy is utterly palpable. As with all Jonathan’s works, we are transported - both to his studio, and to his Mediterranean dream-land.
"I think of my work as a visual form of Lyric poetry. The word Lyric comes form the ancient greek word for Lyre- a musical instrument played to accompany the words of the poet. I don't have a lyre, but I have colour and that in itself is the music. Colour is the thing, that binds my "lyrics" - the lyrics are from the thoughts and feelings I have- memories, ideas, physical sensations, dreams and wishes. Lyric poems are usually short- I like to work quickly." - Jonathan Schofield
