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JONATHAN QUEEN incorporates toys, insects, plants and other objects into meticulously-rendered paintings that move beyond traditional still life and into the narrative and allegorical realms. His paintings can be seen year-round at Miller Gallery, where he'll be featured in The Toy Show beginning Nov. 23. Here are five things important to this inspired artist:
Family. My wife has taught me the meaning of devotion and enduring love. She also opened my eyes to the beauty of nature. My children remind me to stay lighthearted.May I never grow too old to play.
Nature. Seeing insects and birds, watching sunsets and the long shadows caused by them fill me with the desire to create. Antonio Lopez Garcia inspires me to capture the subtle qualities of light through his carefully observed paintings of the world around him.
Toys. My inspiration from toys derives from viewing them less like still-life objects and more like figures on a stage. Each toy has a personality of its own. When I arrange them, I use their innate qualities to build a story.
Narratives. The parables of Jesus inspire me because the surface narrative always holds a deeper meaning. Artists such as Caravaggio, Bouguereau, Alma-Tadema and Waterhouse created powerful imagery based on narratives. I desire to layer my paintings with meanings to offer viewers multiple levels of interpretation.
Balance. I strive to incorporate the various aspects of my life into my paintings. It is impossible for me to focus on one at the exclusion of the others.
Articulations offers five things important to one of Cincinnati's visual artists.
