An explosion of sounds deserves an explosion of sights, and, after listening to our mix for Volume 035, Jonas Fisch gave us just that. His original piece, More Boom Than A Dynamite Store, is jam-packed with figures, colors, shapes, and meanings. Naturally, we needed to know more. Join us as we explore the art and the artist. Despite the urban flavor of his art, Jonas hails from a small fishing village in southern Sweden. It was as a young child that he fell in love with drawing and painting. He was first encouraged to pursue art by his grandmother, Ann-Marie Sjowgren, an accomplished fantasy painter in her own right. Jonas eventually moved to Los Angeles, where he currently lives and works, exploring the city sprawl with his densely populated works.
Jonas Fisch describes his style as 'Urban Abstract Neo Expressionism', citing Jean Dubuffet's "low art", Willem de Kooning's brand of expressionism, Jackson Pollock drip paintings, and Jean-Michel Basquiat's primitivism as major influences. Jonas also draws inspiration from Carl Jung's research, telling Saatchi Art: " My subconscious has a big influence on my work. Sometimes it’s past or present events that’ll become vibrantly buzzing commentary on society morphed into figures, words, and shapes. Other times it’s personal experiences and emotions that’ll flood my mind and drip onto the canvas. I try and not judge or censor what comes up, but at a certain point, it’s like the painting takes on a life of its own and reveals itself. It’s the point of no return and I have to paint it, whatever it is.". Jonas's works are often huge in scale, with paintings that take up entire walls. These massive pieces are full of figures, messages, and symbols that seem to rearrange themselves as you study them. Much like one's subconscious, layers shift in priority and meaning over time, but his use of color invites study instead of overwhelming the viewer. Whether studied up close or from afar, his paintings and drawings are immersive. They're not content to lay passively on a wall: they demand attention.
Jonas's distinct style has placed him in exhibitions all over Los Angeles, as well as in Chicago and New York City. His appeal is international: many of his works are in private collections across the world, selling with online galleries such as MoMa UK, Saatchi Art, and Artspace Warehouse. Press and praise has come from Eventbrite, the LA Times, Art and Cake, Fervent Expressionism, and other key art blogs.
It's hard to find art that clearly draws from a strong lineage of modern artists while still maintaining a unique signature, but Jonas's use of figures, messages, and symbols are inspired without replicating. If you find yourself before one of his works in person, we recommend allotting plenty of time to find what it means to you. Better yet, get a copy of Volume 035 and see what happens as you study one panel...then the next...then unfold the whole thing and see how it all changes. Explore more of Jonas's work HERE.
