Born: April 27, 1953 – Died: July 19, 2024
Origin: Gloucester, MA, USA
Currently Exhibiting in: New York City
Represented by: Henry Boxer Outsider Art Gallery
Website: Jon Sarkin
Bio:
Jon Sarkin was a self-taught contemporary American artist whose frenetic and visually striking works merged the realms of words, images, and symbols. Sarkin’s work, which spans over 15,000 pieces, has been featured in The New Yorker, The New York Times, ARTnews, and GQ, and has been exhibited in prestigious galleries in New York, Los Angeles, Paris, and London. His vivid, often surreal creations explore the intersection of pop culture, the mundane, and the subconscious, with distorted faces, overlapping forms, and chaotic symbolism representing the internal and external turmoil he experienced post-stroke. Sarkin’s art is currently represented by the Henry Boxer Outsider Art Gallery in London.
Featured Artworks at Bushwick Gallery
1. Spectre
Year of Creation: 2018
Medium: Pen and Marker on Vinyl Album Cover
Dimensions: 12 inches x 12 inches
Price: $1,250.00
Location: Gloucester, MA, USA
Description:
Spectre is a visceral and textured work, rendered in mixed media on canvas. This piece focuses on a close-up of a human face, with exaggerated eyes that seem to pierce through layers of emotion and thought. The bold use of red around the eyes contrasts sharply with the pale, washed-out background, creating an intense focal point that suggests both fatigue and heightened awareness.
The rough texture of the canvas, paired with Sarkin’s signature chaotic brushstrokes, gives the painting a palpable sense of urgency. It feels as though the face is emerging from the chaos, struggling to find form in a world that is constantly in flux. The layering of colors and textures mirrors the layered thoughts and emotions that Sarkin sought to express in his art—an intimate look at the subconscious.
2. The Brutality of Everyday Life
Year of Creation: 2018
Medium: Mixed Media on Canvas
Dimensions: 12 inches x 12 inches
Price: $1,250.00
Location: Gloucester, MA, USA
Description:
The Brutality of Everyday Life is an intricate and haunting work that captures the signature style of Jon Sarkin. Drawn on a vinyl album cover, the piece uses frenetic, layered cross-hatching and abstract line work to create a distorted figure with hollow, unseeing eyes. The figure seems caught in a state of flux, representing the fractured nature of perception and identity. The absence of facial features, apart from the empty eyes, heightens the sense of ambiguity and detachment, drawing the viewer into the artist’s internal dialogue.
Sarkin’s use of repetitive lines and symbolic abstraction reflects his post-stroke world, where the boundaries between reality and the subconscious are fluid and ever-shifting. This piece exemplifies his ability to blur the lines between the seen and unseen, evoking a visceral response from the viewer.
The Brutality of Everyday Life is a more visceral and textured work, rendered in mixed media on canvas. This piece focuses on a close-up of a human face, with exaggerated eyes that seem to pierce through layers of emotion and thought. The bold use of red around the eyes contrasts sharply with the pale, washed-out background, creating an intense focal point that suggests both fatigue and heightened awareness.
The rough texture of the canvas, paired with Sarkin’s signature chaotic brushstrokes, gives the painting a palpable sense of urgency. It feels as though the face is emerging from the chaos, struggling to find form in a world that is constantly in flux. The layering of colors and textures mirrors the layered thoughts and emotions that Sarkin sought to express in his art—an intimate look at the subconscious.
Exhibition Information
Group Exhibition: “Specters of the Subconscious”
Opening Reception: Thursday, October 17 / 6PM-8PM
Exhibition Dates: October 17 – October 28, 2024
Theme: Specters of the Subconscious explores the hidden and surreal aspects of the mind, delving into dreamscapes and buried fears. Jon Sarkin’s Spectre-1 and Spectre-2 provide a window into the fractured and tumultuous landscapes of the subconscious, where distorted forms and vivid colors collide in an unsettling, yet captivating, exploration of perception.