Jonathan Bonner
Artist Email: jgb@jonathanbonner.com
Artist Website: http://www.jonathanbonner.com
Medium: Site-Specific Sculpture, stone, fabricated metal
Artist Statement
I have completed many interior and exterior site-specific public projects throughout the U.S. They include public institutions such as convention centers and museums, academic sites on secondary school, college and university campuses, public parks, corporate campuses and religious institutions.
The first step in the process in developing a concept is to assess all the information about the site, its use, the traffic flow, the nature of the occupants, the architectural concepts, the cultural and natural history of the site and the elements of the surrounding environment. I identify specific goals for the site that will be achieved by the introduction of new elements. The premise or concept for the work is directed by the goals and the site information so that the work is connected in some direct and real way to the site. I want the sculpture to be dramatic and transformative, yet at the same time friendly and approachable. The work should relate in a positive way to the people who share its space.
The site-specific projects are directly integrated into and collaborate with the site. My work, although minimal, does have content. The formal vocabulary implies several different things simultaneously making the experience personal for each viewer. The work is often iconic in that it has content that is related to the site and becomes the signature for the site. Most importantly, the work is not something that is separate from the viewer but rather is included in the direct, physical experience of the viewer.
My intent is to provide intelligent, sophisticated, accessible, approachable, iconic work that is uplifting for those in its presence and enhances the function and purpose of the site.