meet Jonathan Stein

Jonathan Stein lives and works in South Florida. Published in numerous magazine and art books, Stein was internationally recognized in, to Which It Stands, A Survey of American Contemporary Art.

Stein has shown consecutively for over 10 years during Art Basel Miami Beach in both Scope Miami Art Fair and Art Miami Art Fair. Stein has been included in solo and group shows throughout the United States, Europe and South America, while headlining various Art Fairs throughout the country and Europe. As an artist and designer Jonathan has worked with numerous companies and marketing agencies on projects for Coca-Cola, The New York Yankees, Burger King, Gibson Guitar and Snapple to name a few. A museum recognized artist, Stein has shown in the Seattle Museum of Art, The New Britain Museum of Art, The Japanese American National Museum of Art, MOCA NoMi, The Cornell Museum of Art and The Coral Springs Museum of Art.

As a philanthropist and humanitarian, Stein currently serves as the Director of Drops of Hope Inc., a South Florida 501(C)(3) non-profit, that provides free fantasy bedroom makeovers for underprivileged children battling cancer.

Jonathan stein was born in bronx, new york in 1978. Classically trained from boston university, stein received a bachelor of fine arts in art education with a minor in photography and art history. Throughout his education, jonathan had graduated from the new york film academy and also received the coveted “2003 best commercial photography portfolio” from the art institute in fort lauderdale.

A conceptual artist well versed in sculpture, painting, installation, photography and video installation, stein asserts that the “concept dictates what medium I work with”. Offering bold social statements cleverly concealed behind sparkling crystal veneers or faux sugary frosting, stein’s work asks an audience to “indulge” in his imagery that excites the mind, intrigues the eye and tempts the stomach.

Noted for his philanthropic commitment to aiding pediatric cancer patients and individuals most marginalized in society; stein has worked with celebrities like katy perry and noted companies like gibson guitar, office depot, nascar and remy martin cointreau to benefit children and women in distress as well as aid developmentally disabled adults and children. Jonathan stein currently serves as the creative director of drops of hope, inc. A 501 (3) c non-profit in south florida whom provides specialized services to pediatric cancer patients and their low to no income families.

Jonathan Stein
sculpture, painting, installation, photography and video installation

VISION

I am a lover of all things campy and kitsch. From andy warhol to judith leiber, and john waters, my list of creative influences is enormous. As an artist and consumer, I am a child of mass media and a partial slave to advertisement. The shiny sparkly goes down easy collection addresses my morbid curiosity with consumerism and its ever-engrossing appeal. We have become a world of “bling,” where “shiny” is “better” and a glitzy surface can mask whatever may be rotten within or loaded with artery clogging trans fats.

Initially, the shiny sparkly goes down easy series began as a light-hearted parody, paying homage to iconic foods first introduced to the american public during the 1950s. With the boom of commerce, these mass-produced “consumables” were once grand staples of a “proper” american diet. However, with all the stringent health concerns facing americans today, these items are far more dismissive and some are often considered “white trash” delicacies. I wanted to honor where we were as a society unaware of what we know now. As this body of work continued to expand, I have furthered my exploration of the intoxicating allure and inherent threat posed by advertisement specifically in the fast food arena. This work celebrates iconic items of consumption but turns a critical gaze upon those of us who “just can’t get enough”. Hungrily we gorge on iconography like that of overly processed, high fructose induced and carb-loaded consumables that pacify us temporarily but always leave us with a fleeting yearning for more.

From one of a kind, hand-cast acrylic resin fried chicken (fashioned from actual kentucky fried chicken) to hand sculpted bronze reinterpreted starbuck’s cups; every detail I have amassed strives to turn the ordinary into something far more extraordinary. Each bejeweled sculpture is comprised of tens of thousands of individually hand-placed swarovski crystals.

EXHIBITIONS

I plan, implement, and have aided various art exhibitions designed to raise awareness and funds for South Florida non-profits. Organizations I have worked closely with in the past and present include – Children’s Diagnostic & Treatment Center, Kids In Distress, JCC’s “Proud And Jewish” Program for Developmentally Disabled Youth, Florida Initiative For Suicide Prevention, Arts United, Miami hildren’s Hospital, The Victory School for Autistic and Behaviorally Challenged Children, Best Buddies, Hollywood Art and Culture Center, Locust Projects, etc.

PUBLICATIONS

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My Work

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