Jonathan Velazquez

Jonathan Velazquez (b. 1985) is an artist who joined NIAD Art Center in 2007. His practice incorporates music, acting, sculpture, drawing, and installation. In recent years, he has produced durational performance pieces that are influenced by the opulence and absurdity of celebrity culture and professional tropes. The studio serves as a stage whereon Velazquez completely immerses himself in a particular persona, shape-shifting into singers, clergy, doctors, or businessmen. He meticulously crafts props, costumes, and environments for these many adopted roles. Using paper, tape, clay, printed ephemera, found objects, and fabric, he has fashioned bricolage musical instruments, office equipment, holy sacraments, and hand-stitched vestments.

To get into character, Velazquez most often channels famed musicians like Espinosa Paz, Daddy Yankee, Los Parras, or Los Tigres Del Norte. He studies footage of live concerts to reenact choreography, bravado, and minute vocal flourishes. Velazquez then assembles scale replicas of tubas, trombones, saxophones, guitars, accordions, or drum kits. Each item is tuned precisely to the performers’ needs: paper knobs can be twisted and wooden pedals can be pressed on beat with the music piping through his headphones. The construction material bears the imprint of these long practice sessions. The tube armatures of his brass horns are wrapped in layers of metallic tape, fortifying the areas around levers, keys, and valve caps that are worn down after months of daily use.

Velazquez was instrumental in founding NIAD’s Music and Performance department. He has since contributed tracks for collaborative records, and released a solo album of Spanish-language ballads entitled Jonathan Del Norte. Off stage, his works on paper and ceramics capture a similar sense of fandom and rhythm. Written words are repeated over and over like choruses, and symbols create dense, staccato patterns around portraits of adored pop culture icons.

Velazquez has participated in group exhibitions at Elbow Room, Portland, OR; Rachel Uffner, New York, NY; the Oakland Museum of California; and Mills College Art Museum, Oakland, CA; among others. His work has been published in The New York Times and acquired for the permanent collection of Stanford Health Care in Palo Alto, CA. 

Jónathan Velázquez – a través de performance, escultura y en papel, su trabajo explora las posibilidades de celebridad y el poder de la performance. Cuando Jónathan canta y actúa, se siente seguro y vive el momento. Jonathan crea sus numerosos personajes artísticos basado en músicos y grupos con los que se identifica: su repertorio de artistas incluye a Michael Jackson, así como a Espinosa Paz, Los Tigres Del Norte y Daddy Yankee. El lanzamiento de su EP con baladas en español se encuentra en NIAD Sounds Recordings. 

En su práctica de dibujo, a Jónathan le gusta dibujar retratos de personas que son importantes para él, frecuentemente, incluye al personal de NIAD. El uso repetitivo de corazones en el pecho, refleja cuán especial es la persona representada para Jónathan. Jónathan prefiere dibujar con marcadores ya que le gustan los colores vivos. A travez de las películas, Jónathan explora y captura símbolos de su interés, tales como zombies, fantasmas y guantes. 

En su practica multidisciplinaria, ni la técnica ni el material artístico a utilizar son más importantes para Jónathan que los facilitadores con los que trabaja y su conexión con ellos. Cuando se le pregunta por qué le gusta trabajar con barro, menciona su agrado de trabajar en NIAD con ciertos facilitadores de cerámica y expresa “Me gusta estar cercano a otros artistas de NIAD.”

Jonathan Velazquez’s work – in performance, sculpture and on paper – explores the possibilities of celebrity and the power of performance. When Jonathan sings and performs he feels confident and in the moment. Jonathan crafts his numerous artistic personas from musicians and bands that he connects with – his slate of performers include Michael Jackson as well as Espinosa Paz, Los Tigres del Norte, and Daddy Yankee. He has released an EP of his Spanish-language ballads on NIAD Sounds Recordings.

In his drawing practice Jonathan likes to draw portraits of people that are important to him, frequently including NIAD staff. The recurring motif of hearts on his subjects’ chests reflects how special the person depicted is to Jonathan. Jonathan prefers drawing with markers, sharing that he likes bright colors. Often Jonathan likes to explore symbols he finds interesting from movies, such as zombies, ghosts and gloves.

A multidisciplinary artist, the material he works with isn’t as important to Jonathan as the NIAD facilitator he’s working with and his connection to them. When asked why he likes working with clay, he references the NIAD ceramics facilitators he has enjoyed working with, saying simply “I like to be around other artists at NIAD."