Jonathon Earl Bowser is a guest artist at the Lilith Gallery. The Canadian artist's work focuses on ideas of mythical goddesses and iconographic images of divine feminine beauty. He is certainly not the first person to dedicate their art towards divine feminine beauty. Patrick Nagel, Eugene Delacroix, Friedrich Overbeck, William Blake and even Leonard Nimoy (who was and still is a successful photographer before he became an actor) all dedicated their art towards finding symbolic meaning(s) between nature, sexuality and spirituality.
Bowser's art is so impressive that his online popularity has made him so famous that not only has Saddam Hussein (and everyone else in Iraq) seen Bowser's art work. In the Spring of 2001 Saddam Hussein (or people working for the deposed leader) copied Bowser's 1998 painting "The Awakening" off of Bowser's website and used it as the cover for Hussein's novel "Zabibah and the King". An obvious case of copyright infringement, but also an excellent example of how artists really do make a difference (whether we intend to do so or not, does not matter).
Such is the extent of Bowser's "net-fame" that he his fans all over the world and sells his works for thousands of dollars each. He is arguably the most famous Canadian painter in recent history, overlapping the fame of landscape artists the Group of Seven, Emily Carr, and more modernist artists like Bertram Brooker and Joyce Wieland. While Canada does have many famous artists, that fame tends to extend only within the borders of Canadian art history and rarely makes it onto the international stage.
Although Bowser resents the copyright infringement of his art piece, no one can dispute that every artist worth his salt deserves extra publicity. Its just a sad turn of events that the publicity came from a notorious dictator on the opposite side of the planet. Perhaps it just shows that Bowser's ability to portray beauty is simply universal.
I asked Bowser once about whether world events (such as 9/11) play a role in the shaping of his art. His response was worthy of note:
"In my lifetime I have seen (on the evening news, anyway) 1 million dead
in Burundi and Rwanda during the tribal violence of the mid-90's, 4
million dead in southeast Asia during the Vietnam war, and a ghastly
parade of other bloodbaths to numerous to easily recall. And I have
read enough history to be familiar with even more appalling events in
the remote past. The terrorist attacks were despicable, and I suppose I
hope for an agonizing death for those responsible. But it was only one
dark day among countless thousands humanity has endured in its time. I
hope there is an element of sorrow in my work, but it is for the
ever-dying, self-consuming horror of Life itself, and not for any
particular tragedy that affects individuals. 9/11 has not changed my
work in any way whatsoever."
Which is a great answer, I feel. And so unlike many artists who get swept up due to constant worrying about world events.
Beyond his themes of nature and feminine symbolism (which Bowser calls "Mythic Naturalism"), Bowser's skill as a painter is incredible. He makes many traditional painters look like amateurs in comparison.
If you need more info about Bowser, contact the curator or visit Bowser's Official website: www.jonathonart.com.
All art shown on this webpage is registered & copyrighted by Jonathon Earl Bowser. You are free - of course - to download these picture files to your computer, and if you would like to showcase some of his images on your own web-site, then you are invited to do so. This authorization applies to non-commercial (not for profit) Internet applications only, and anyone who places his work on the Internet must provide a full and prominent credit (his name is to appear with the artwork), and establish a link to his web-site (www.jonathonart.com). ANY use of his images without a proper credit and link will be considered an unauthorized use - a violation of, and prohibited by, international copyright law.
