Release the Light
Jonathon Oron illuminates individuality and uniqueness from a standpoint of complete empathy, understanding, and respect. The Rotterdam- based photographer and former model is grounded and perceptive as both an artist and human being. While circulating through topics of identity, sexuality, and personal expression, Oron’s collection of works as a whole are sympathetic investigations of character. For Jonathan Oron, photography is not a process of imposing one’s individual vision upon the world, but of understanding and capturing that of others. If you’re lucky, light will shine through and illuminate something within.
Part One: Who is Jonathon Oron?
Question #1: Who are you?
“My name is Jonathan Oron, I am a Rotterdam born and raised queer black person and maker. After a professional career as a model I decided to reverse the roles and step behind the camera. I was always surrounded by creatives, whether it was in school, within my family (my aunt always encouraged my creative expression, gave me my first camera and enrolled me in several art classes), in my work as a model or within my social circle. This has greatly inspired me and made me into the artist I am today. I learned the basics of photography through working with a fully manual film camera and slowly learning and progressing within the process of becoming the photographer I desired to be. Also through travelling (especially my solo trip to New York City) I developed my photographer’s eye to perceive the world through my own lense. With the help of many great collaborations with some of my talented friends I was also able to give shape to own vision as an artist.“
Question #2: Who are you as an artist?
“”As an artist I am greatly inspired by the fashion industry and the souls I worked with as a model. I always enjoyed embodying the visions of the artists I worked with and saw my modelling as an extension of my own creativity. Living in a society which marginalises me, being a openly queer person of color, became another focus of me within my work. I look for ways to change the perceptions that people even in a liberal country such as The Netherlands has of queer people as a whole. Furthermore I love photographing people in a documentary style. Often I see people doing things that are so pure and simple and yet of great significance and I can’t help but try to capture these moments, because I feel that in every person there is a story, a brilliance and a star. This notion was greatly cultivated by my work as a model and I always felt that every person deserves a moment for them to let that light within them shine.”
I feel that in every person there is a story, a brilliance and a star”
Question #3: What kind of journey are you on?
“Right now I am greatly encouraged by the several movements in the world that are at play. The Black Lives Matter movement as a person of color and the LGBTQIA+ movement as a queer person. Although this sometimes creates a dichotomy within myself as I have experienced rejection from both sides of coin, I am very aware of my privilege as a queer person born in the Western society of The Netherlands and so I try to form bridges between these seemingly contrasting worlds by being present, being aware and taking my responsibility for my role in changing this notion.“
Question #4: What is in your artwork that we cannot see?
“Failure, anxiety, fear, feelings of inadequacy, strife, frustration, bitterness sometimes, anger. Tapping into these emotions have led me to create work that is positive, beautiful, powerful, delicate, peaceful and serene. What you cannot see in my art is the struggle that made me pour out all of my negative emotions and turning it into something that gives me solace in knowing that I am here. I can express. I am not silent and I am not all the things that I think I am when the world turns dark. My art is my guiding light that desires to shine through.”
“Kill your darlings.
Kill your darlings.
Kill your Darlings.
Question #5: What is something art has taught you?
Actually my high school art teacher taught me this, but slowly and surely I am applying this more and more. I still find it very hard, but in a sense it is letting go. Of ideas, negative feelings, outdated train of thoughts, basically attachment. Of course you are proud when something you see in your mind’s eye materializes in the work you make, but being able to let the work go is in my opinion an even more important lesson than knowing how to make great work.“
Question #6: What is something strange or interesting you keep in the studio?
“I love my plants, my candles, my incense and my stones and crystals. They give me peace. Other than that I have collections of seashells, feathers,coins, wooden and stone artifacts (I’m especially proud of my Surinamese wooden mini chair and my Aztec sun dial), Pokemon figurines, bottles of booze, cigarettes, food, a tarot deck, a bible, a rosary. Basically anything and everything that brings me joy, nourishes me, calms me and reminds me of who I am so I may never forget.”
Part Two: Personal Perception
What is your artistic practice?
“How do you describe a feeling? I am a self taught film photographer. My work is greatly inspired by my experiences as a queer person of color, a former model, a brother, a son, a nephew, a grandson, a friend, a lover, a student, a human being navigating my way through life. And I give these experiences meaning through my photography. I make many mistakes and learn from them and apply them to make work that can better give meaning to.”
2019
“Queer POC identity in Western Society”
Film
Didden Village, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
My friend graciously agreed to model for me for my series on the experience of Queer POC identity in Western Society. She is a professional, a trans woman of color and a being of light.
We were allowed to enter the Didden Village, which was the first project realised by MVRDV, international architecture and urbanism office in Rotterdam. This rooftop is an extension of Atelier Sjoerd Didden which specialises in wigs for theater, film, television and photography.
With this work I brought together two identities by capturing and styling my subject to one of the most iconic moments in Dutch fashion, the coronation of our Queen, Máxima.
2019
“Sexy becomes him”
Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Film
Part of a human story about intimacy, vulnerability and sexuality.
2017
I AM A SLAVE OF YOUR PERCEPTION, YOU ARE A SLAVE OF MINE
Film
De Elektriciteitsfabriek, The Hague, The Netherlands
Backstage, graduation collection Roos Boshart Prins, KABK.
2015
“Masculinity”
Film
Huntington Beach, CA, USA
Part of my first exhibition about the different notions of masculinity as to tackle the toxic aspect of it.
Exhibited in WORM Rotterdam, institute for avant-garde art for art exhibition DIVE festival of which I was a co-organiser and curator.
2019
“Anti Fatale Escalation”
Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Graduation collection ‘Anti Fatale Escalation’
Film
A fashion project I was humbly casted to do for Willem de Kooning Art Academy graduate Claire van Donselaar.
Where/ How can Vacant Museum viewers see more of your work and where can they purchase it?
“My instagram @nahtanojnoro, I am still figuring out how I want to sell my work, but you can always contact me via instagram.”