Jon Duff’s paintings are all over the place. A wonderful chaos of colors, textures, and shapes, it’s hard to know where exactly to look at when encountering his art. But its this chaotic nature that makes his art hard to ignore.
Since receiving an MFA at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) in 2012 and a BFA from the University of Minnesota in 2008, Duff has exhibited his work throughout the US and has been featured in publications in both the US and the UK.
But his creative spirit came through much earlier when he was just a young child. “My mom took me to a Pop art exhibition at the Milwaukee Museum of Art when I was about 8 years old,” he recalled in an interview with Young Space. The effect was immediate. “I found it all so ridiculous and fun,” he said, “I remember thinking ‘These guys get to spend their time making all these weird things and people appreciate them for it. I have weird ideas all the time. I want to do that!’”
Now committed to doing just that, he admits that the art world has its downside, namely the hype and celebrity culture that surrounds it. “I didn’t become an artist because I want to party with the Olsen Twins someday,” he jokes. But being part of a community also has its perks. “It feels good to know I am a part of a big group of weirdos on a goofy endless mission to make art,” he says.
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