This body of work explores the aesthetics of detritus and decay through the lens of surface, material and form. It looks to the rural backroads of Texas for inspiration, the forgotten towns, the faded facades of old buildings and the natural cycles of growth, decay, and renewal. Using the process of collage, I explore nature’s ability to reclaim the spaces and objects that we abandon. Utilizing various scavenged and repurposed materials, I mimic the effects that wear, and exposure have on things, imparting a sense of history and nostalgia through the surfaces of my works. Overlaid upon these facades are idioms of graffiti that act to reclaim these spaces with the voice of the individual, building up a densely layered patina—an aura of touch.
Jonas Criscoe is an interdisciplinary artist whose work has been exhibited throughout the United States, most notably the International Print Center in New York and the Minnesota Museum of American Art. Criscoe has also been featured in various art publications, Including Art Lies and New American Painting and has been a Jerome Fellow at the Highpoint Center for Printmaking as well as a West Prize acquisition recipient. A native of Austin, Texas, he received his BFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York and the University of Texas at Austin, and his MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design. He has been on the faculty at Austin community college and the Art School at The Contemporary Austin and was a founding member of ICOSA Collective in Austin TX. Currently, he is on the faculty at Houston Community college and a member of Throughline, an artist-run space located in Houston, TX.
Website: www.jonascriscoe.com
Instagram: @jonascriscoe