Jon Chao is a jack-of-all-art-trades and master of none, although his recent foray into vessels begs to differ. He has a strong visual aesthetic that translates smoothly across his different work within a variety of mediums, from experimental screen-printed zines, to ceramic vessels, wooden sculpture and graphic design.
I met Jon while working at the incredible Rock Paper Scissors Collective in Oakland, CA. Known for starting the Art Murmur/First Friday art walk (yes, that was them), RPSC (which has since relocated - thanks absurd Oakland rent hikes!) is FULL of Cool Friends, and generally amazing individuals. Jon was one of them. We connected through our mutual love of all things well designed and crafted, and he also invited me to come with him to some Drink-n-Draws held at Faultline Artspace (another terrific Oakland art-world gem). I also credit him with my introduction to the world of Instagram (thanks, Jon!).
Born and raised in Oakland, Jon studied Studio Art at the University of California, Santa Barbara. And after his stint back in Oakland, he relocated to Los Angeles, where he lives with his girlfriend, corgi and sweet cruiser bike. Learn more about Jon's long list of influences, fascination with vessels, and love for the clouds in Mexico, below:
1) What get's you out of bed in the morning? What did you eat for breakfast today?
What get's me out of bed is knowing that I have to pay my god-damn bills. I had pad thai for breakfast. I'm probably going to eat the left overs for lunch, too.
2) For those that don't know you yet, could you please tell us a bit more about yourself? What are you up to currently?
I just came back from Mexico. [While] I was there, I went to the pyramids of Teotihuacan. It was amazing. We got there in the morning and it was empty. It's a really magical place when very few people are there. The clouds were beautiful. The clouds in Mexico were just amazing the entire trip. It might been because it was the beginning of the rainy season. I got a nice obsidian obelisk there too, pretty stoked on that. I'm currently in Los Angeles doing a lot of sculpture work, mainly with wood. Living life day by day.
3) You've also dabbled in printmaking, drawing, painting, installation art, and experimental zines. What keeps you fascinated by all these different mediums?
I think they're all cool, and I don't want to be pigeon-holed to a certain medium. There are a lot of mediums out there to work with. It's always fun to see where your ideas take you with a certain medium. Along the way when you learn all these things, they give you a better feel of what's possible, and later on help you achieve your full vision.
4) Who or what has inspired you recently? What excites you?
Mountains, the sun, the moon, light, bodies of water, obelisks, polished metal, smoke, fire, vessels, clouds, Noguchi, Matthew Ronay, Alma Allen, tennis, plants, my friends, my friends playing music in the living room, Stein the corgi, old archived photos, drifting off before you go to sleep, Moebius, Nobuo Sekine, Nasreen Mohamedi, learning a new craft, monoliths, jazz, portals, standing in front of an industrial fan...
5) Could you walk us through your process for an piece? From concept to final form.
It usually involves a lot of day dreaming and meditating on certain ideas. Sometimes it's like an Agnes Martin kind of thing and I just wait for something to come to me. It happens, I noticed, when I'm driving and before I go to sleep. A vague form comes to mind and I have a general vision of what I want to make. I do a rough sketch. Then I list materials I want to use and see how the work reveals itself.
I try not to become too rigid with the process and let the work find its way to the finish line. Although sometimes I have a clear vision and crank that work out as fast as possible before the motivation goes away. Other than that, I'm normally just curious on how the concepts translate to reality.
I also make a list of projects I want to do. Then I focus on those projects and normally do as much of them as possible before I burn out and have to recharge. I work in sprints.
6) How do you recharge? How do you stay motivated and energized to pump out new work?
I play tennis as much as possible, it helps a lot with decompression. I also take week-long breaks from any art making. That helps me recollect my thoughts, and build up the energy to push out the next couple projects. As for motivation, the Internet is cool. We're able to experience a lot of art through our screens. I know it's different from seeing the work in person, but it helps to know what's out there. And there's a lot of work out there that gets me excited and motivates me to keep pushing. For me, the idea of creating new work is related to art being a form of self reflection, and a better way of understanding my relation to my personal experiences.
7) What's the last song you listened to? What band or artists have you been jamming to recently?
The last song was "The Creator Has A Master Plan" by Pharaoh Sanders [link below]. I've been listening to a lot of Sun Ra as well.
8) Let's talk about vessels. You've been creating bowls, ash trays, incense holders, etc, in both wood and ceramic. What keeps you coming back to vessels as a base structure for your work?
Good question. I think vessels as a concept is really interesting. A lot of things are vessels. Our bodies and the planet are vessels. I like the idea of making vessels that hold non tangible things like light. I think that's a really cool ethereal kind of idea. Also growing up in a religious upbringing, the idea of sacred objects and vessels is something that always stuck with me. The concept of burning things as offerings or purifying has always been around me. I like to think the objects I make relate to that in some way.
9) What's a book/movie/album that's on your list, something you've been meaning to read/watch/listen to?
I've been meaning to watch Embrace The Serpent and read this Noguchi book I just got.
10) If you weren't an artist, what would you do for work?
I would go run away into the mountains.
11) What're you most excited for in the coming months? Any cool personal projects or events?
[Currently] I'm trying to apply to a few residencies. That would be a dream if I got into some. I still have a list of a few projects I want to make. I'm working on a series of bowls that don't hold anything.
12) Final question: Who's your cool friend?
Melissa Chhan is my cool friend. She does cool things, and has cool friends too.
