SLO LIFE Magazine AprMay 2021

| ARTIST
N
PROFILE
Jason
Towne
BY JEFF AL-MASHAT
ew York Times theater critic Brooks Atkinson, who is probably
more well known today for the Manhattan theater that bears his
name than for his writings, wrote, “Real art is illumination, it adds
stature to life.”
There are many grand things that can be said about San Luis
Obispo’s Jason Towne’s artwork, but associating it with a theatrical
quote seems most appropriate. The work is visual, but it straddles
both performance art and installation.
Towne makes drawings and paintings. Some are geometrical shapes;
others are simple squares of florescent paint on florescent paper.
His magic is in his presentation, where he posts them together on
walls in an almost 19th-century, salon-style arrangement. He then
projects light, along with filters of additional shapes, on to them.
The result is a shimmering, immersive experience that fills the entire
room. Simply having the light spill upon the viewers draws them
into the story in the same way that one gets pulled into a play or
concert, or even a great film. Towne layers different music into the
experience to add another dimension.
“I am looking to create a glowing ambient journey,” says Towne.
“I want people to take away an uplifting feeling that stays with
them.” The execution of his presentation is important, but
illuminating the viewer’s mind is really what it is about for Towne.
“I want people to look to the future when we can gather again and
experience things together.”
Simply visiting his webpage at artbyjasontowne.com will give you a
taste of the excitement associated with his work. The still image on
his homepage alone will light up a phone or computer screen, but
it seems like it has the power to light up whatever space it is being
viewed in.
He is a self-taught painter, but trained as a graphic designer, which
Towne credits for his ability to know the mechanics of putting his
grand presentations together. Figurative
painter Francis Bacon is among his
influences, but there are also nods to
conceptual artists like Jenny Holzer’s
thought-provoking projections on
public spaces, as well as pioneering
multi-media artist Nam June Paik’s
massive video projects.
His post-pandemic plans are to take
the experience to large spaces that will
include multiple musicians and possibly
opportunities for audience members
to get involved and make their own
drawings that become part of the
exhibition. SLO LIFE
JEFF AL-MASHAT is a
writer and visual artist with
an MFA in painting from
Georgia State University. He
lives in Grover Beach.
40 | SLO LIFE MAGAZINE | APR/MAY 2021