Back in September, I posted about the pottery of Jonathan Cross. His pots are raw but sophisticated, masculine, somewhat primitive but very modern, and they totally caught my eye. Recently, I had a chance to find out a little more about him. An exclusive HM profile on Jonathan Cross after the jump….Jonathan Cross wasn’t always a ceramic artist. Only recently did he quit his job of five years to purse a life in ceramics. Prior to that, he was a printmaker for about 10 years. It would actually be a trip to the Huntington Botanical Gardens that would be the starting point to a new path. Jonathan says,
“One day, I went to the Huntington Botanical Gardens, specifically the desert conservatory and I had my first encounter with some rare and absolutely beautiful cacti and succulents. I immediately started to collect and grow rare succulents. Soon I became interested in keeping them in containers other than plastic or terra-cotta. About 4 to 5 years ago I began making my own planters. They have quickly evolved from crude “Pinch pots” to expressive sculptural forms.”
I asked Jonathan about what his current inspirations were. He explains,
“Most of my current work is exploring a combination of themes, such as, geological formations, modern design, architecture, sculpture and healthy does of eastern aesthetics. These themes influence the work on a variety of levels (some more obvious than others) coalescing into the kinds of forms I make.”
For now, Jonathan continues to master and develop his craft. He currently resides in Dallas, TX with his wife and two daughters. He’s focusing on getting into graduate school, earning a degree and then eventually striking out on his own.
Jonathan is definitely one to watch. His pieces really bring a refreshing aesthetic to the design landscape and it will be interesting to see what he comes up with next. You can keep up with Jonathan’s latest work by visiting his blog, etsy store, big cartel, and they’re also available locally at Pot-ted. Thanks Jonathan for spending some time with us here at Happy Mundane!