JONAS WOOD YELLOW FLOWER

“It doesn’t matter if anybody else is into these places. I have had a deep emotional connection to most of the places I select to paint. That is going to come across. There is a personal nostalgia I can feed off. Everyone wants to go back to his or her youth in some way, be naïve, and be a kid again. I know there are powerful emotions, and I use that as fuel.” – Jonas Wood

Plants have remained a key subject for Jonas Wood throughout his career. When he moved from the East Coast to Los Angeles, he was astounded by the variety of flora he found in Southern California. The tropical plants featured in his paintings reflect both his personal collection of houseplants, and the region’s climate and cultural identity. 

Inspired by artists including David Hockney and Alex Katz, Jonas Wood embraces bright palettes, detailed patterns, and flattened forms. Depicting brilliantly hued orchids and succulents, full bunches of bananas, and a robust monstera plant, he experiments with color and geometry.

Jonas Wood develops his hybrid compositions from multiple sources, including photographs appropriated from magazines and representations of his own plant specimens. 

“The paintings are based on images that I have had around for a while. Then I decide, “I choose you.” They are images that I realize, after a long time of looking and thinking about them, resonate with me. They might remind me of something, bring me back to some place.”