Jonathan Fitz ( He/Him )

My process of manifesting art into reality is linked to the way I develop ideas. Specifically, evolving my perception of the limits of a technique, material or form. Though the exploration of material in my hands, I gain a deeper understanding of myself. This experience is mirrored by my interpretations of forms in the wilderness.

The work I create questions my perception of the experiences I have within wild spaces. Running up mammoth teeth and down glitter filled canyons, it is these experiences of the American West that I am looking for. Moving through a tunnel of trees, emerging, to look out over a sea of green waves with chattering birds in all directions. It is in the freedom of the hills and in the studio that I find equal space for examining the irrational.

Through continual research and material exploration I wander between confusion and understanding. My artwork parallels visions from my experiences of self-discovery in wild spaces and the studio. I want my work to suggest a similar experience of the interpretations and misinterpretations of familiar imagery.

Jonathan Fitz is originally from Columbus, Ohio. He received his BFA in 2009 from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio and his MFA in 2014 from The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. Jonathan Has participated in artist residencies at The Cub Creek Foundation in Appomattox, Virginia, Red Lodge Clay Center in Red Lodge, Montana and at the Belden Brick Factory in Sugar Creek, Ohio. From 2014 to 2017 Jonathan worked as Ceramics and Sculpture Technician at the University of Montana in Missoula, Montana. He currently is the Ceramics Lab Manager and Adjunct Instructor at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, New Mexico.