Jonah Dillon
Austin, TX
“I overthink a lot of things in other aspects of my life, but I don't do that while creating art.”
Jonah (he/him) is an artist who has always found a way to pursue his desire to create. As a child, Jonah Dillon liked to draw. As he grew older and his muscles became weaker from muscular dystrophy, he didn’t give up creating, he just had to become more unconventional in his process. One day he had the idea to run over a ketchup bottle and see what would happen. It felt freeing, it felt fun, it looked like the start of something, and it was.
Filled with inspiration, Jonah began running over liquids with the wheels of his chair and observing what squirted or splatted out. Then he thought of paint, exploring the properties and behaviors of tempera paint and acrylic paint as it was poured and ran over on canvas board. Instead of feeling disappointed in his loss of arm strength, he now felt invigorated by the opportunity of creating art with his wheelchair. Jonah explains, “The main thing that has influenced my creative process is living with muscular dystrophy. The progression of my disease is what led to the way I create my artwork now.”
His process from his early ketchup days has evolved; Jonah now mixes up paint and thins it down, creating patterns and textures as the paint overlaps and combines. He also uses spray bottles to create drip effects and pours paint directly onto the canvas to create large pools of pigment. Jonah has become an admirer of the unpredictable nature of his technique, as this helps him accept what he cannot control.
A self-described over-thinker of life, Jonah enjoys that making art is a reprieve from overthinking. “There is no right or wrong way to create. I also love the fact that anyone can create artwork if they really put their mind to it. I feel like it's one of the
only times I don't overthink things and just go with the flow more than usual.” Jonah has also learned that he can be very innovative when he needs to be; wrapping his wheels in plastic to protect them from paint, and organizing and renting gallery space to host his own exhibition, featuring live musical performances by his brother and roommate.
Music is one of Jonah’s primary influences. He enjoys listening to alternative rock, hip-hop and reggae music. Some of his favorite artists include Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, logic, Lupe Fiasco, Muse and many others. Describing his artistic style as colorful and very abstract, he decides both canvas size and color choices right before beginning to paint, and switches his hues frequently, as he doesn’t want to get tired of using the same palette. In addition to music, Jonah derives artistic inspiration from his surroundings as well as his own thoughts and feelings. He enjoys spending his free time listening to a wide variety of music, watching art related Youtube videos, and spending time outside “when it’s not too hot or cold.”
Jonah takes pleasure in the fact that everyone sees something different in his work, that there is no prescribed meaning. His art is up to interpretation, and he finds joy in what each person thinks or feels as they examine it. He enjoys seeing his work large, where it can be truly appreciated, tire marks and all. Jonah shares, “I feel very proud and glad when people appreciate and compliment my artwork. It makes me feel like I'm doing exactly what I should be doing in my life.”
