I am interested in the flesh as a membrane, the site of negotiation between our inner and external worlds. Through exercise, diet, sexual activity, and clothing, we are constantly brokering deals between various desires that are expressed on our skin. I make work that displays these negotiations. This can include making a sculpture that appears to swell from internal pressure or from a surface that merges two seemingly opposed connotations (i.e., insectile and beauty queen makeup).
Holes intrigue me because they are punctures in membranes. They expose the frightening fragility of surfaces while also offering proof of the possibility of change. I am attracted to the vessel for its content regarding the womb and secrets, but also as a form in transition: just after one thing and now becoming another. Holes also make us curious to peer into and afraid of what might be looking back out. My work displays the possibilities of change and ambiguity while holding the freedom and terror of them simultaneously.
With recent work, I have incorporated cosmetic materials, including lipstick, rhinestones, earrings, spandex, and leather. These materials have focused my investigations of the body by honing in on the performative aspect of makeup and clothing: materials we add to ourselves externally in an attempt to realize inner visions of ourselves.
Jonathan Talit grew up in Lakeland, FL. He attended Boston University and graduated with a BFA in Sculpture, Cum Laude. He has attended residencies at the Atlantic Center for the Arts, Vermont Studio Center, and Gallery 263 in Cambridge, MA. His work is in both private collections as well as the collection of Gallery 221 at HCC, Dale Mabry. He currently lives and works in Tampa, FL, pursuing his MFA degree from USF, Tampa.
