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Europe

Jonathan Monk
Something Contained Removed

Something Contained Removed by Jonathan Monk is a conceptual artwork that challenges conventional notions of space, form, and perception. Consisting of a white neon sculpture in the form of a left and right parentheses, Monk invites viewers to contemplate the boundaries between presence and absence, the seen and unseen. The work resonates with the influence of Minimalism and Conceptual Art, echoing the likes of Donald Judd and Sol LeWitt in its clean lines and philosophical depth. Monk’s choice of medium and materials disrupts the expected physical presence of traditional sculpture, allowing the surrounding environment to merge with the artwork, thereby blurring the lines between art and context. This interplay reflects on themes of memory and erasure, suggesting that what is not visible may be as significant as what is. Something Contained Removed serves as a metaphor for the intangible aspects of human experience, prompting introspection on how we define and relate to the spaces around us. Monk’s work thus transcends mere physicality, engaging viewers in a dialogue about perception, reality, and the essence of existence.

Jonathan Monk re-fashions and re-examines seminal works of Conceptual and Minimal art through witty, ingenious, and irreverent means. Through wall paintings, monochromes, ephemeral sculpture, and photography, Monk reflects on the tendency of contemporary art to canabilize references, while paying homage to figures such as Sol LeWitt, Ed Ruscha, Bruce Nauman and Lawrence Weiner. Monk's art practice does not follow any specific style; it doesn't contain any common characteristic to identify his work at first glance. The amount and variety of his works poses questions about what supports them. Demystifying the creative process, Monk often employs appropriation, humor, irony, and anecdote in his work. To enter an exhibition of works by Jonathan Monk is like taking part in a treasure hunt, made up of digressions and space-time manipulations.