John Bonath "Ghost"

The image I have in this show is from large large body of work that I am working on this year entitled “Cloud Worlds, fabricated skyscapes by John Bonath.” 

Living in Colorado, I spend a lot of time studying the vast Colorado sky. The Western sky in particular, has been depicted endlessly in photography and painting. Like the artists before me, my work reflects on the Western experience.  

In so doing, it is my intent to express the enduring archetype of the Western sky in a new way; in a way that reflects the ominous times in which I find myself.  

My skies are not the upper part of a landscape, they are the story. In my skies, something mysterious is always transpiring. I am not documenting clouds, but rather, fabricating hyperbolic skyscapes of an epic or biblical nature, as one might find in a fairy tale or myth. The initial material begins with an ordinary shot of the sky. I then blur the line between witness and fabrication. 

At a time when there is an epidemic of existential angst, my artwork introduces me to myself as I grapple with the new realities of each day. The skies I fabricate are embedded with all my hopes and fears for humanity, as I look to the natural world for inspiration and guidance.

Colorado is a place with mostly blue skies, cold high-altitude light, and an intense sun. When clouds do appear overhead, I can’t help but stop to adore them.

When I took the initial shot for this image, I was gazing with wonder into the blue void above, when a brilliant white cloud slowly morphed and crawlled across the sky. It was like a solid ghost that was headed on its path from existence to non-existence, and I was the sole witness to its brief life span. For that reason, I titled this piece “Ghost.”

I think of clouds as reminders of our finite mortality within an eternal universe. I am reminded that life is but a journey, always in motion, always evolving. Clouds encourage me to stop my busy routine and reflect with wonder on a world devoid of the man-made realities of war and hate. This ever-changing universe is what gives me hope for a better future. 
 
This is the latest art from my bleeding soul.  It is my hope that this art encourages inner reflection, embraces life’s challenges as spiritual growth, and recognizes the divine within. I make art instead of crying and my images are the fruit of this diversion. It is a healing and cathartic practice for me.