Jonathan Ottke
In a Drop of Water: Photography by Jonathan Ottke
Passage Gallery
April 27, 2019 – June 9th, 2019
Exhibition Reception: May 4th, 2019 2-4PM
Artist Statement
My work is created in communion with the world around me, including the world of nature, human interactions, and the forms our minds find in the world. You could say that like William Blake I “see a World in a Grain of Sand/And a Heaven in a Wild Flower”, as my art is informed by close viewing of the world. I work mostly photography and sculpture. In photography I observe the world closely around me looking for the beauty in the everyday. In sculpture I use both traditional materials, such as wood and stone and non-traditional materials such as glass and feathers. I am especially interested in the spiritual implications of materials in art, and the way we create the world every time we see it anew. I hope my work gives people a timeless, universal feeling and shows the otherworldly in the everyday.
Biography
Jonathan Ottke lives by Lake Braddock in the Washington DC area where he gathers inspiration and takes many of his photos. He has lived in many places worldwide including in Waldenbuch, Germany, by a chocolate factory, and in Nairobi, Kenya and Vienna, Austria. His art is deeply affected by his travels and his training as a biologist. He sees art as a spiritual practice that is a communication, a dance even, between the creator, the universe and the viewer that allow all to be moved and improved. He has studied art in Braunschweig, Germany, the University of Virginia, and Vienna, Austria. His art has been shown at many exhibitions in the Washington DC region.
Follow Jonathan on Instagram at @jonathanottke and check out his website at https://ottkej.wixsite.com/jonathanottke