Jonathon Downing (b. 1997) is an oil painter whose portraits craft conversations about public image and internal truth through the lens of the professional Basketball fan. He created his unique aesthetic while studying at the University of Michigan; and since graduating in 2020, has continued to refine the process of digital photo montage and realistic painting that he is known for. While Downing was raised and currently resides in the Metro Detroit area, the subjects he paints reside in an alternate reality where human beings are monstrous amalgamations of portraiture. Surprisingly organic and honest, these portraits simultaneously depict the Basketball fan and the superstars they idolize, promoting deeper observation in order to fully form a hypothesis on each character’s backstory and present emotions. Downing has shown these characters throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia, and is included in dozens of national and international collections.
Instagram : jonathondowning

Hi Jonathan, tell us about your background. How and when did you first start to paint?

I started painting when I was a young teen. Before that I did a lot of graphite drawings and colored pencil work, markers too, but I didn’t start painting consistently until high school. I was in my first show at 15, it was an exhibition for Wayne State University that showcased various high school artists from the local area. When I used oil paints for the first time at Undergrad in 2016 it was a real game changer for me and made the process of realistic painting way easier. It was like a light switch and it was off to the races.

How do you begin to work? What is your process like?

I start each painting by finding a reference photo, usually through fashion and culture pages on Instagram. Then I put it in Photoshop and go through my library of photos and look for similar pictures that can add something new to the piece. Once the image is finished, I break out the projector and do a line drawing onto a stretched canvas. After that it is time to paint, which is very mechanical rather than creative. All I have to worry about is mixing and placing color correctly, it’s very relaxing to me.

Your portraits blend elements of both digital and traditional techniques. How does the process of creating compositions in Photoshop and rendering them in oil paint enhance the complexity of your characters and their narratives?

The digital process is where all of my creativity takes place, while the actual painting is meditative. Without Photoshop I don’t think I would be able to convey the complexities of each character effectively. I mix the faces and bodies of so many different people to create one character that it would actually be kinda impossible, the character would need to be completely fabricated. One of my goals is to make my artwork grounded in reality even though it is subtly surreal, and Photoshop helps me accomplish that.

You explore the juxtaposition between internal emotion and external image, particularly through the lens of professional Basketball fans and the superstars they idolize. What is it about this dynamic that you find so compelling as a subject for portraiture?

I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of fame and celebrity, and Basketball has been my favorite sport since I was a child. They really go hand in hand. It’s like the idea that everyone wants to be remembered fondly, and as fans we can see living examples of what is truly achievable.

Your use of fashion, popular culture, and Basketball references adds layers to your work. How do these cultural elements contribute to the dialogue between the viewer and the characters you create?

I add references to things that I enjoy that I also think will resonate with other people. Everyone loves Gucci and Michael Jordan. I think that artwork should represent the time period it was created, so that’s a reason why I add pop culture references, so that it reflects the times. It’s a way of engaging on a deeper level with the viewer while also putting pieces of myself into each composition.

The characters in your paintings inhabit an alternate reality where features like "six eyes" and "cracks in the mask" are common. How do these exaggerated, almost surreal features help reveal deeper truths about identity, celebrity, and public perception?

In my opinion, the main goal of portraiture at large is to fully encapsulate the subject, but that’s nearly impossible with a single image. That’s where multiplicity comes in. It allows me to create a single image that explores more of the character than a singular portrait can. The extra facial features allow me to dive deeper into the character’s emotions and how they juxtapose their outward appearances.

Your portraits encourage viewers to form a hypothesis about each character's backstory and emotions. How do you balance the fantastical elements in your work with more grounded, human emotions to promote this deeper observation?

When I first started exploring my aesthetic, the works I made were really 2-Dimensional and the portraits were more jumbled and exploded. These looked a little too flat and almost abstract in a way, so I took a lot of time to really refine the aesthetic so that it is grounded. This included improving the depth of each composition with increased contrast, detailed backgrounds and settings, and keeping the portrait self-contained. I want the face of each character to look relatively normal when first viewed, and when it is observed more the viewer will notice the intricacies of each portrait.

Jonathon Downing

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