Life Drawing: Figures A, B & C

Melbourne Art Review: Thanks for chatting with us Jon. Can you tell us a bit about your arts practice, what your focus is within it, your history and what inspires you? Jonathon Harris: As an artist I find that my interests change with each show - but I live somewhere between installation and performance work. I have to say the thing that links them together is a constant investigation into how we live/lived and how we treat each other. I trained as a performer in the UK and I’ve been creating work for now over 20 years. I’ve only been in Australia for little of that and I have moved more towards installations rather than performing, but this is going to change back I think soon… My works been shown across Europe - primarily in the UK, including venues like the Institute of contemporary Art in London I’ve been really lucky as I have been able to perform/present in so many different places. The highlight of my career so far was performing ‘Life Drawing’ during the Archibald Prize in 2015. It was a real highlight for me because it was the first performance I created in Australia. It was quite amazing that someone in the first ever audience (2009) remembered it enough to come and find me six years later and asked me to reproduce the show for the Archibald program. When i think about that, it floors me really. In my next show “Life Drawing: Figures A, B & C” I’m using really traditional materials like charcoal and crayons and paint. But with other shows I have stated investigating plexiglass, 3D drawing / printing and video - which I adore. I really love using different media across different works as they communicate different emotions, have different meanings and resonate in some many different ways. So many different things inspire me. I’m inspired by reading and sometimes I’m inspired by artists who proved to be trailblazers and were brave - not just in art form but also in subject and lack of compromise I have to say that I’m more influenced by galleries, than by artists. When you visit a beautifully curated gallery its like entering another world. MAR: Do you have any advice to impart to us? JH: The most important piece of advice I’ve ever learned over the years is that integrity is the most important thing when you are creating any piece of art. Most difficult thing about being an artist in Melbourne is finding the right space for your work. There are so many amazing spaces but each have a different nuances and milieu, so finding the right place for your work is so important. I think I’m still doing this as it is an evolving process! The think the best way to overcome this is just to keep going and just do the work… And constantly keep learning. The best thing about being an artist in Melbourne is how seriously it takes it takes it’s art community. Yes it has its ups and downs, but in my experience people support each other more. MAR: What are you working on now? JH: It’s a busy time and I am so grateful for it. My next exhibition and performance is at the Red Gallery with ‘Life Drawing’ reemerging for its Melbourne Premiere on the 17th and 18th August. It’s great fun, somewhat improvised and turns turns the dreaded life drawing criticism on its head. It is both joyous and devastating in its subject matter, concentrating on physical and mental health - but really it is about how we live. I know this may sound like a terribly depressing evening out but I promise you, like life, there are amazing moments of light, joy and laughter and that’s really important thing for me. Also, for the first time there will be an exhibition of the drawings! This will also includes three drawings for the Archibald performance and also some rehearsal images. it’ll be interesting to see how they have changed MAR: What’s next for Jonathan Harris? JH: I have a video piece in Biennale of Australian Art In Ballarat from this September called ‘The Thought And The Reaction’. It is a video ‘reimagining’ of a performance I did in 1999, 2001 and 2006 in London. All of these performances were reactions to acts of violence towards the LGBTQI communities. And for next year I am part of a group show off at the Trocadero Art Space for Midsumma… watch this space.