On Thursday, Oct. 3, Muhlenberg College was visited by Jon Krasner ‘87 for an enlightening artist talk focused on his newest exhibition, “Symbiosis: Visions of Light (Phase 2),” showing in the Galleria of the Center of the Arts. Krasner himself is a Muhlenberg alum, having graduated in 1987 as an arts major. Not one to limit himself in any artistic capacity, he went on to study painting at Pratt Institute, gaining a Master of Fine Arts (MFA), and eventually earning another MFA from Boston University in graphic design.
It was this experience in graphic design that led to an interest in computers, animation and art through motion. With such a varied background, it is no surprise that many of his works have combined artistic disciplines with a major focus on the philosophy of abstraction– the act of removing any literalness from art pieces, creating a series of digital prints and texture–focused pieces made from scraps and parts. Abstraction as a concept has been around for hundreds of years; from ancient Greek vases to biblical illuminated manuscripts, humans have always made art beyond the boundaries of objective perception. Krasner believes that it is how onlookers perceive this phenomenon that presents the greatest challenge in art.
“The biggest topic I want to address is how we look at art, especially abstraction,” starts Krasner. “As we enter adulthood, we formulate personal motivations, agendas and biases,” the kind of unrelated prejudice that is consequently brought into judgment of art. In his words, as we grow up and lose the innocence we had as children, “We learn, but forget to listen.” It is with his art that Krasner seeks to amend this. By focusing on form and physicality, the aesthetic qualities of the art rather than any sort of real-world representations, people can change their mindsets, appreciating not only art with an abstract view, but the world itself. Allowing one to perceive the world around them with the process of abstraction can lead to transformative experiences that, according to Krasner, help erase the prejudices that society has instilled.
“We learn, but forget to listen.” – Jon Krasner ’87
This process of freeing yourself from preconceived expectations is also the key to his creative process. Much too often, art students focus far too much on the objective quality of their work– they don’t want to leave their comfort zone, holding themselves back in fear of making mistakes by refusing to take risks. Krasner, on the other hand, is a major proponent for placing more emphasis on the journey and the exploration process when it comes to his work, with inspiration flowing from the act of creating itself. His source of inspiration is constantly evolving—“Putting a mark on canvas and responding to that mark leads to another artistic condition,” he explains.
Before closing the talk, Krasner revealed a sneak peek of his newest project, a short film titled “Heritage,” intended to illustrate the plight of his ancestors and the impact Judaism has had on his work– though with such a flowing process of creativity, wherever the project ends up will most likely far exceed anybody’s expectations, and that’s the beauty of abstraction. Quite an impression was left by his visit, with attendees praising his artistic insight as well as the philosophical ideas he often tied into said insight. “I came expecting him to talk about art, but left with incredibly useful life advice,” shares James Goodwin ‘27. A similarly striking impression was left on the Director of the Martin Art Gallery Jessica Ambler Ph.D., who praised Jon Krasner as having “a real depth to his thought process and what he’s getting at with his work.” She has visited the exhibition several times, as every time she goes, there’s something new to notice in each of the pieces, working as living embodiments of his nonrepresentational psyche.
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