Deuteronomy 8:7-9
Divinity
Isaiah 40:8
Revival of Life
These past two years have pushed me to look deep inside myself to capture the essence of what drives me to create. A new lifestyle has inspired me to rethink my life personally and artistically. I am vegan and the journey to embracing veganism has opened my eyes to how truly important the natural world is to us, as humans. Plants are essential to our existence. They are critical to our health and overall well-being. They provide us with the air with breathe, the food we eat and are important for medicinal purposes. Their importance is timeless. We could not function without what plants give us. In this body of work, I want to pay homage and respect to the natural world. In doing my research on veganism I have developed, a great respect for what our plants provide us. I honor and respect nature. It has almost become my faith. The concept of faith and believing in something is inspiring for me. I currently do not practice a religion but my Catholic background has driven me to create this body of work. The images presented before you are my combination of paying honor to the natural world and relating the importance they play in Catholicism. I pulled much of my inspiration from Byzantine art focusing on Icons. I found it inspiring the way Byzantine art glorifies their Saints and figures of recognition. Halos frame their head showing their importance and holiness. I also looked at the way we honor our deceased. We praise them for who they were, what they gave to us, and our love for them. In my work, I focused on trees and plants at the end of their life. I want to honor the plants I have drawn or photographed for their importance and what they have given us. The natural world is our life giver and I want to give my thanks to nature with my art. Through veganism, I feel like I’ve been revived and this is just the beginning of a new chapter in my life.
Art has been a vital part of Jonathan Korotko’s life from a very early age. He was always drawing, painting, or creating something throughout his youth which carried over into his college career. Jonathan is a recent graduate from Carroll University with a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts. After working in various medias he has found his niche in screen printing. His most recent body of work, Revival of Life, consisted of 11 prints in which Jonathan drew his inspiration from his journey to veganism. This journey was insightful for Jonathan and he experienced it as if it was his awakening. The natural world become his faith in a way. He strives to pay his respect to nature in his prints. They depict biblical stories that involve nature and the importance it plays in the bible. His goal is to submit his prints in Revival of Life to graduate schools to pursue his MFA in screen printing. Jonathan’s career goal is to eventual work in a higher educational setting, teaching his passion to enthusiastic individuals. Sharing his ideas and knowledge with others and having it reciprocated is what really drives him. He was always inspired by his professors who really pushed him to look deep inside himself to find his voice in art. What inspires Jonathan is his experiences in life. He has been lucky enough to travel to many cultural Mecca’s throughout Europe, such as Paris, London, Florence, Munich, and Zurich. These opportunities allowed him to see many different facets of art from various periods. Jonathan references his travels in his art. He also pulls inspiration from places he wants to go but has not yet been. Africa is one of these places. In his current work Jonathan is inspired by Adinkra symbols of West Africa. These Adinkra symbols have emotional meanings behind them. In his newest work, Jonathan is referencing the emotions he finds in himself.
Portage Magazine 