Meet the Artist
Zachary Dean Jones
Zachary Dean Jones is an Ohio-based contemporary abstract artist whose work explores the relationship between texture, material, atmosphere, and the passage of time. Through layered surfaces and an intuitive process of building, scraping, obscuring, and revealing, Jones creates paintings that feel both architectural and organic.
Inspired by artists including British sculptor Andy Goldsworthy, German painter, sculptor Anselm Kiefer and Bob Rauschenberg, Jones draws from the raw materiality, imperfection, and transformation found in both the natural and built worlds. His work contrasts the structure and monotony of the professional world with the vibrant, unpredictable energy of nature. Through color, texture, and layered materials, he creates works that reflect the complexity and many layers of the human experience.
His compositions often evoke weathered and eroded canvas, and aged surfaces transformed by time. Rather than depicting a specific place, the work invites individual interpretation, allowing texture, gesture, and subtle shifts in color to create a sense of history, movement, and environment.
Jones’s work has been exhibited at the Zanesville Museum of Art, Marcia Evans Gallery, and Majestic Galleries, and has received editorial recognition in publications including Whitehot Magazine and The World of Interiors. His work has also been purchased for display in medical and business offices, as well as personal and private collections.
Working from his studio in Ohio, Jones continues to develop a body of work centered on materiality, surface, and the beauty found in accumulation, erosion, and change.
Bob Rauschenberg said, “If I know what it looks like why make it”
To me it’s a basic fundamental. Exploring more natural materials, trusting my process, it’s a visual experience. I’m much more interested in how I feel about a subject, I’m working in or on an instinctual feeling. I get a certain feeling inside. I have conversations with my materials and work the process in my mind. Working with material in my landscape, I am always trying to learn from nature.
If creativity takes courage I aim to be the most courageous. I aim to inspire that there isn’t a right time to live your dream. You and your mind are the only limits.
My work as an artist, is truly unique and stands out in the contemporary art world. Incorporating natural materials sourced from my property in South East Ohio into the abstract paintings adds a sense of place and personal connection to my work. The use of locally-sourced materials not only creates a distinct aesthetic, but also highlights the relationship between art and the environment.
Furthermore, my use of bonds and adhesives in the creative process adds depth and texture to the pieces, creating a dynamic and layered composition. This technique is reminiscent of the German artist Anselm Kiefer, who is known for his use of unconventional materials in his paintings and sculptures. Kiefer’s work often explores themes of history and memory, and like him, my work also has a strong sense of place, rooted in the natural environment of South East Ohio.
Overall, my work as an artist is unique and thought-provoking, drawing inspiration from the natural world and pushing the boundaries of traditional art-making techniques. This combination of personal and universal themes makes my work stand out in the art world and is sure to resonate with audiences.