Jonathan Roberts

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"It’s not the things that are difficult to make but to put ourselves in a condition to make them"

Brancusi

 

"You're interested in what is. I'm interested in what isn't"

Ken Campbell

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Biography

 

“My work life was spent as a lecturer at Reading University, where I am still an Honorary Research Fellow. In 2003 I retired from writing and talking and my friend Meir Weiss introduced me to carving green wood in the open air. It was a complete and welcome change, the chance to use my eyes and hands.

 

Meir gave freely of his work space, tools, support and advice and we are now co-workers. semesters with Gwendolyn Rowlands on the Morley College “Sculpture in Wood” course showed me how rigorously an artist thinks and in May 2006 gave me my first chance to exhibit. I began private classes with Dick Onians, master carver and sculptor, in 2006. first large-scale showing of my work was as part of the 2007 Whiteknights Studio Trail in Reading and in October the Reading Guild of Artists accepted me as a full member. Since then, I have tried to go on growing, through life drawing classes with Flora Gare, the ‘Exploring Sculpture’ course at Morley College tutored by Sheila Vollmer, and a lot of looking.

 

I work with green wood which is a by-product of tree surgery or commercial felling and which otherwise would be burnt or chipped. I always begin with the qualities of the piece I have found, and rarely plan. I simplify by gradually removing mass with gouges and rasps. It is a slow process and my output is quite small. joy is to uncover the special character of the wood: its colour, texture, sound, smell, form and grain; the forces of life it contains; its transformation by decay. have become increasingly interested in texture and have explored smooth, gouged and in some pieces shot-blasted surfaces along with natural textures such as weathered bark and cracking. My finished pieces are best experienced in natural light and through sight, touch and with some woods, smell. March 2010 my piece "Lava" was accepted for the Blind Art Permanent Collection, held at Royal National College for the Blind, Hereford (www.Blindart.net).”

 

Exhibitions

 

2010

‘Eighty’ Reading Guild of Artists 80th annual exhibition at Reading Museum

 

2009

Whiteknights Studio Trail, Reading,Berkshire

 

2008

Blewbury Festival of Art, Blewbury, Oxfordshire

‘Summer Surprise’, Reading Guild of Artists 79th annual exhibition at the Waterhouse Chamber, Reading Town Hall

 

South Hill Park Student Open 2008 exhibition, South Hill Park, Bracknell, Berkshire (linocut)

 

Whiteknights Studio Trail, Reading, Berkshire

  

‘In Passing’, Arlington Arts Centre, Newbury, West Berkshire

 

‘Insight 2008’, New Greenham Arts, Newbury, West Berkshire

  

West Berkshire and North Hampshire Open Studios at Ridgeway Studio, Streatley, Berkshire

 

2007

‘Out of the Blue’, Reading Guild of Artists 78th Annual exhibition at The Old Fire Station Gallery, Henley-on-Thames, Oxon.

 

Whiteknights Studio Trail, Reading, Berkshire

   

‘Working in Wood’ at the John Peacock Gallery, Maiden Erleigh Arts Centre, Reading, with Pat Main and Meir Weiss

 

2006

‘Made06’ at the Morley Gallery, Morley College, London

 

Donation and Loan

 

People are influenced by the quality of their surroundings. For this reason, Meir Weiss and I are happy to donate or loan pieces to hospitals, schools and other public or charitable institutions in exchange for a voluntary charitable donation.has done this for many years and I have followed his example. We have examples of our work in the University of Reading, the Royal Berkshire Hospital, West Berkshire Community Hospital, Reading Association for the Blind, Mary Hare School, The Willink School Burghfield Common and Thatcham Primary School amongst others.

 

Jon Roberts

March 13th 2010