Jonathon Downing (b. 1997) is an oil painter whose portraits craft conversations about public image and internal truth through the lens of the professional Basketball fan. He created his unique aesthetic while studying at the University of Michigan; and since graduating in 2020, has continued to refine the process of digital photo montage and realistic painting that he is becoming known for. While Downing was raised and currently resides in the Metro Detroit area, the subjects he paints reside in an alternate reality where human beings are monstrous amalgamations of portraiture.

1. In this new exhibition in Madrid, do your works have a common poetics or a common thread to create a discourse?

The biggest common thread is that they all exist in this world that I am constantly building, where the average person is born with six eyes, three noses and two mouths. The ideas of idolization, celebrity, external and internal image, and fandom are a through line.

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2. For the creation of your works you use collage as a method prior to pictorial creation. What are your sources of inspiration for these compositions? Do you usually collect information from magazines or do you use photos taken from the Internet?

I started utilizing Photoshop and doing really rough versions of these montages back in 2017,and since then I am always on the lookout for cool and dynamic images from fashion magazines and fashion brands. I have a library of around 18,000 photos by now. I rarely have an actual concept in my mind, which is probably good because finding a specific image is very difficult. My practice is based on finding an image and then seeing what comes to me. I am keenly aware of the themes and aesthetics that I want to explore, so I curate my library of images to reflect that. Conceptually, every image in my library goes together, so the actual composition dictates what images I use.

I have a library of around 18,000 photos by now. I rarely have an actual concept in my mind, which is probably good because finding a specific image is very difficult

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3. From a conceptual point of view, what do you intend to represent through the deformation of your figures? Do you have any relation with cubism or surrealism?

The main connection is multiplicity photography. That's usually done with images from the same photoshoot, so I took that concept and applied it to painting, while making sure that every image is diverse. Each layer of my images come from a different brand, a different photoshoot, and a different model. Through that combination of photos, a new character is formed who is entirely unique and complex. This uniqueness rivals that of real people, and these characters are more fleshed out and fully formed than if it were just a singular

4. Who are your most prominent artistic influences?

Emilio Villalba is my main inspiration. I think he is a creative genius and his portraits are incredible, like historically significant work. His montaged and deconstructed portraits from 2016 and 2017 were the very first inspiration for the aesthetic that I am known for. I am naturally inspired by realism artists such as Robin Eley, and the old masters like Michelangelo and Carravagio were big inspirations as well.

I am naturally inspired by realism artists such as Robin Eley, and the old masters like Michelangelo and Carravagio were big inspirations as well.

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5. Knowing that you use collage as a process prior to pictorial creation, why do you choose painting as a medium to represent your ideas? Do you think you will combine more techniques in your works at some point?

Painting has always been my medium. I started out drawing which I loved, then I started painting in high school and never went back. My first oil painting was done in 2017, and when I switched from acrylics to oils it was like a lightbulb went off and everything clicked. You can't make the same dynamic images with any other medium, oil paint is just perfect. I would love to expand to sculpture at some point, I think my portraits would translate very well. I also want to explore apparel and music branding. As you’ve seen from my show, fashion and music are big influences for me, and to be able to get into those worlds would be really cool.

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6. When did you start painting? Who were your first artistic influences?

I started painting in 2013 right before I was in my first group show. It was at a Detroit college and they were highlighting local high school talent. My first influences were a guy named Alister Dipner, Kevin Llewellyn and Greg Simkins. Dipner is an independent artist who came to fame through Youtube speed paintings of the album covers for the band Ghost Town. He did all of the aesthetic branding for their first album, and I think that they released every track as a single before the album, so there are like 12 different paintings. He inspired the painting that was in the show I just mentioned.

Llewellyn is a master who creates these rock and roll, 17th century gothic portraits, so he inspired my realistic aesthetic and the bit of an edge that my work has. Studying Simkins’ paintings pushed me to explore more cartoony aesthetics and start using a grisaille underpainting, glazing color on top. I've found that direct painting is much easier for me, but it was great to experiment back then.

7. As a basketball enthusiast, what relationship do you find between the sport you admire and the works you create?

The idea of idolization and public image is the most prominent link. Players like Michael Jordan and Lebron James are seen as basketball gods, these superhuman idols whose legacies will live on for hundreds of years. That image is just their public and professional persona, and at home they are just like everyone else. That’s where the really interesting moments come into play through the multiplicity. Every portrait shows the cracks in each character’s public image, revealing bits of their true selves.

The idea of idolization and public image is the most prominent link. Players like Michael Jordan and Lebron James are seen as basketball gods, these superhuman idols whose legacies will live on for hundreds of years.

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8. What do you believe has influenced you the most in deciding to be an artist and becoming your full time job?

Probably my talent and my passion, and also my mom. Art is the thing I have been very good at for all of my life, and it’s also the thing that I have been most passionate about for all of my life. My mom has always been my number one supporter, and without her support I would probably be working a desk job that isn’t fulfilling. I am incredibly grateful to have such a supportive parent. I know a lot of people whose creativity wasn’t encouraged, and I think that we all missed out on some really great works of art because of that.

9. We see that, in addition to being passionate about basketball, you have a certain interest in sneakers. Where does this obsession with sneakers, which you often represent in your works, come from?

Sneakers have always been something I am interested in. Sneakers and basketball are synonymous, so pretty much every basketball fan has some level of interest in sneakers. There is nothing better than being able to complete an outfit with the perfect pair. I love skate sneakers as well. Supra footwear was always my go-to; it's unfortunate they had to close down and were rebranded into this weird nft based thing. The Skytop II is one of my favorite sneakers of all time, rivaled only by the Lebron 11 All-Stars.

10. Tell me the story behind the work Courtside Seats. “In the work "Courtside Seats," you depict goats. Does this relate to the expression "the GOAT," referring to the Greatest of All Time, or does it carry any special meaning?

Yep the piece refers to the greatest of all time, that's why the goat tapestry is montaged with a Jordan poster. The piece basically encompasses “Appearances, Aspirations and Allusions” by combining multiple references to greatness and idolization, such as the goat, the Kendrick Lamar record and the Jesus lithograph, while also exploring the human relationship of the couple on the couch.

The piece basically encompasses “Appearances, Aspirations and Allusions” by combining multiple references to greatness and idolization

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11. Tell me the story behind “Elixir of life”. In "Elixir of Life," you create a biomorphic form that appears to be a combination of a goat and a white tiger. Is there a specific significance to these two animals being merged into one form? Why did you choose to combine them?

As discussed, the goat is a reference to the greatest of all time, and I combined it with a white tiger because of their rarity and power. This piece kinda references that parental role and how this couple contributes to the growth of this animal.

12. Tell me the story behind “Witness”. In the painting “Witness” we see in the background a sort of Lebron James poster, is this a special homage you made to the player?

“Witness” is a slogan that was used in Lebron’s early career and has carried over 21 years later. This painting is an homage to the growth that Lebron exhibited from his first stint in Cleveland to his second, where he won the 2016 championship. The jersey in the painting combines the jerseys from his rookie year and that championship year, framed with photos and a velvet mat.

13. Tell me the story of a special painting for you from this show.

“Blue Slide Park'' means a lot to me because of the hoodie the character is wearing. It's a Clandestine Industries hoodie, which was Pete Wentz’s fashion brand back in the late 2000’s. He’s the bassist of Fall Out Boy. I owned four of that brand’s hoodies, all being very rare, and had to sell them to pay rent; so this is my homage to a garment that represented my growth from a child into an adult with real responsibilities.