A Space to Be Present
Jon Young, Visual Artist
by Jasmine Raskas
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| Installation view of Jon Young's Waymarks. Photograph by Randie Flowers. |
Jon Young is a St. Louis based visual artist inspired by signs and symbols. His sculptures, known as Waymarks, use a unique combination of iridescent fabric on top of timelessly carved objects. Through changes in lighting and arrangement, the sculptures interact with each new environment in a novel way. Jon’s sculptures have been shown across the nation, from LA to Austin. His most recent shows in the St. Louis region include the Bruno David Gallery, GCADD, and the Lewis Center at Washington University.
Since completing his MFA at Washington University in May of 2018, he’s been working to continue the development of the Waymark body of work. His latest group show, Vultures at Midnight opens February 7, 2020 at Monaco and his work will be presented along with that of artists Edo Rosenblith, Janie Stamm, and Erik S. Peterson.
Timeless, Spaceless Moments
The Waymark sculptures are inspired by the shapes and forms Jon’s taken note of throughout many years. They are “things that have resonated with me and caught my attention. I want to understand why they’ve stayed with me and so I use them in the work.” Through a process of exploratory recombination, he pulls together elements of the past into the present. Through the act of creation he solidifies these marks onto our future.
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| Jon Young. Waymark artworks. Photograph courtesy of the artist. |
The sculptures appear to encapsulate a summary of meaning for presentation to an alien entity. They seem to string together Earth’s recorded history to showcase the collective human mark in a futuristic archeological dig. The unusual yet familiar markings grab attention outside of any particular location or time. “People in the future might wonder what I was doing here the same way we look at the Nazca Lines.” Yet, there are little to no distinguishing marks that resemble a certain period of time or culture. The ambiguity leaves space for interpretation and imagination to grow.
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| Jon Young. Waymark artworks. Photograph courtesy of the artist. |
As the pieces are shown in different types of light and in different groups, or sets, they work with the environment to form new meaning. In that sense, these markings are both completely timeless and yet completely present within a moment. There’s space for an instant to grow and for all of time to collapse.
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| Jon Young. Waymark artworks. Photograph courtesy of the artist. |
The Process
The Waymarks are made through a simultaneously meticulous and intuitive process. The details are finely crafted, yet shaped in a fluid free form manner akin to the evolution of a drawing. The work relies heavily on trust, trust in intuition and trust in the materials to lead the way. Even with a plan, Jon leaves room for the materials to guide the direction of form. Through the combination of hard and soft elements, there’s room for chance to lead the way. Even the most intricate curves are created by hand or with a jigsaw. There’s nothing close to a laser cutter involved. The process is a delicate combination of the unpredictable with the predictable.
The hands-on nature of this sculptural work demands presence but at the same time leaves room for contemplation. Similar to a walking meditation, the steps of action are both individually and collectively purposeful. The tedious nature of sifting and stuffing is analogous to the process of cleansing. The rougher items are removed one by one and plucked away. Jon values every moment he’s been given to work in the studio and wishes to take it all in with gratitude.
His whole process is filled with awareness for how lucky one is to have the opportunity to make art. He enjoys the continual search for beauty and the unpredictable nature of how the bits and pieces come together. However, the most satisfying aspect still that stands out as the final moment of completion.
Dedication To The Arts
As a child, Jon naturally excelled at drawing. At some point he realized, he’d fallen into the art world and dug deeper into his ongoing obsession with making things. There isn’t anyone in particular he looks up to, but he’s always been most in awe of a musicians ability to transform sound. Even with other work, he manages to spend at least three hours a day in the studio, and pretty much the entirety of weekends. “The art is my whole life in a good way.” He’s found that the more he’s in the studio, the better things are all around. As an artist, he has no particularly goal in mind and wishes to continue to use the natural way of the creative process as his guide. In a world ruled by efficiency, productivity and outcome, how beautiful is it to know someone dedicated to the purity of creation.
“Art is appreciating my time here.”
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| Jon Young. Waymarks. Photograph by Randie Flowers. |
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Jon Young’s work can be seen in “Vultures at Midnight” on view February 7-March 6, 2020 at Monaco, 2701 Cherokee Street, St. Louis, MO. A free reception is held Friday, February 7, 7-10 p.m. Regular gallery hours are Saturday 12-4 p.m. or by appointment.
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Jasmine Raskas is a St. Louis-based artist whose artworks have been featured in exhibitions throughout the St. Louis region. She is also the owner of Chaos 2 Order Coaching.
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