Jon Rollins Makes Contemplative Paintings Out of Studio Scraps
I’m endlessly fascinated by the paintings of Jon Rollins. His approach to painting is more like collage, bringing various studio scraps together in order to create something unique. And yet, he’s still deeply engaged with mark-making and creating those delicious details that make your eyes widen in awe.
I’m also an artist interested in margins, subtlety, and overlooked details, which is something that drew me to Jon’s work when I discovered him on Instagram. Even on my phone, my eyes were drawn to his edges and the faint details that lurked there. I was intrigued by the different elements he splices together, the separate sections that butt up against each other. His paintings are fragmented but somehow pulled tightly into a cohesive whole.
I was curious to see that Jon’s older pieces employ a more vibrant colour palette, whereas his recent works are stripped down to the bone. I wanted to ask him if this was a way to allow his subtle marks to take center stage. So with this newsletter as a handy excuse, I reached out to Jon - who’s based in North Carolina, USA - excited to learn more.
Hey Jon. You once told me you worked as a framer and often find yourself studying edges when you look at artworks. It seems like you think about this a lot in your own work?
Yes, if you get the edges right, it doesn’t really matter what’s happening on the front. I’m joking, but only a little—it’s usually the first thing I look at. The treatment of the edge reveals a lot about an artist’s intent, process, and attitude—whether there’s a continuation of the frontal plane, chance drips and smears, a frame made commercially or by the artist, etc.
Edges are often overlooked, disregarded until the front is figured out. I’ve always been interested in elevating the lesser things in my work: the minutiae, the underdog, the abandoned and forgotten. Because the front seems to be the main thing—what the work is “about”—I often start at the edge and work inwards, allowing what happens in the margin to lead the way.
Could you tell me about your intriguing piece called ‘Framer’. I love how the frame has its own personality.
‘Framer’ began as a study for a larger work. I had an idea to complete a 96 x 68 inch piece by framing it with scrap wood from my studio.
This collection of scrap wood dates back to 2013, when I taught myself carpentry in order to build silkscreen equipment. Going through the scrap pile, I saw the evidence of someone learning how to do a thing: test lap joints, miscut miters, glued pieces ripped apart. These wood scraps also reflected my transition from printing to painting in 2016; they became supports for working on canvases flat, accumulating paint drips and spills.
As I examined the wood scraps, I began to place them around a small stretched canvas. In the process, the perimeter suggested ideas for the middle: the charcoal-smudged newsprint covering my worktable, the paint-dotted drop cloth I was standing on. Every studio incident, old and new, became a possible subject.
By the way, I never framed that 96 x 68. I turned it sideways and realized it was finished.
Using scraps seems like an important part of your process. Do you think of it as collage, bringing different elements together to create a sort of Frankenstein painting?
Something exciting happens when you glue a Polaroid of your grandmother from 66 years ago next to a scratched lotto ticket you found in the gas station parking lot this morning. Yes: classic collage strategy. Put things together and let their similarities and differences do the talking—the work makes itself and I watch it happen.
I like scavenging. Using what’s around me feels more natural than conjuring a brush stroke. It’s a way of understanding the past and present. When I dig through a box of old papers and found junk, I think about how time can make just about anything seem important. I also think about fate—that this particular doodle from 20 years ago could be the element I’ve been searching for to finish a work in progress. But all of this sentimental thinking is balanced by destructive phases that hold nothing in regard.
Looking at the evolution of your work, it looks like you used to use a much more vivid colour palette, whereas recently it feels more muted. I was curious if you saw this as a way to help focus attention on the subtleties of the mark-making?
Yes, recently I’ve been interested in surfaces that may not immediately grab you, but reward close observation.
I’ve always loved studying old buildings and urban environments. I look at the layers of intentions, expressions, the hopes and dreams of each inhabitant or passerby. As these layers build, they begin to neutralize each other, sometimes literally with coats of neutral paint. But there’s a strata that results from this and small vestiges of the past can be found if you look hard enough.
At first glance, some of my more neutral work may look like straight-ahead achromatic abstraction—a picture of nothing that was conceived and built simply. But many of these works undergo one radically different layer after another. Vibrant colors appear, but are usually negated across multiple sessions. I like the idea that a surface has been many things, even if some of those things are lost forever.
Who are your painting heroes, old or new?
If Chris Martin does something, I wanna know about it. When I was younger, Rauschenberg was the first artist I really admired. Over the past several years, I’ve consistently studied the work of David Ostrowski, Sterling Ruby, Grace Hartigan, and Mark Bradford. Lately, I’ve been looking at the work of Raymond Saunders.
What are you interested in outside of art and how important is it for you to step away and explore other things in life?
Even though I do my best work in the solitude of the studio, connection with others is key. A conversation with a friend or someone I meet in passing puts everything into perspective.
Physical training is an essential part of the day. I’ve found it’s the perfect pair to art: doing something difficult that sometimes feels pointless—but done with consistency leads to something useful or interesting.
I also enjoy reading and watching movies, things that challenge me. I like for my assumptions about life to be questioned daily.
Follow Jon on Instagram: @jon_rollins
Things on Our Radar This Week
Robert Nava, Cristina de Miguel, Dan Flanagan and other modern greats feature in this group show in NYC (opens today)
Plaster mag’s enjoyable deep dive into the often unwelcoming and anxiety-inducing world of gallery entrances
Art21 reposted this great old clip of Mark Bradford at work and scavenging for materials
A scathingly critical yet entertaining takedown of this year’s RA summer show
We’re late to this one - Nick Cave talks to Xavier Hufkins about his collection of demonic figurines
Thanks for reading, see you next time!
Oliver & Kezia xx
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