The act of looking and experiencing is key for an artist, and it is something that has preoccupied Jonathan since drawing flora as a child. This continues to be a key strand of his work as he attempts to capture the essence and atmosphere of what he sees before him, whether it is the beauty of vegetation as it ages and decays, or the play of light through trees or where the sea meets the sky.
Together with textile artist Ross Belton, they form ‘moderneccentrics‘, a creative collaboration and partnership. With a background that encompasses the creative arts and broadcasting (design, art direction, training, photography and retouching), they combine ‘digital’ experience with the natural and handmade.
‘We look at the urban environment and examine our relationship with the nature that surrounds us. Identity, personal history and experience informs our concerns, as does a desire to reuse and repurpose.’
‘Mummy, what happens when we die?’ is a new piece created by Jonathan specifically for the St Saviours Winter Show. Normally working in the medium of print or photography, this site specific installation was created over the two weeks prior to the opening of the show. Everyday, whatever the weather, Dredge collected the leaves that had fallen from the three trees directly outside of his flat and then transported them to St Saviours to dry and ‘lay in state’. The installation touches on death and rebirth, floral tributes and the beauty of autumn. Through the show, the work will continue to dry up and desiccate, ultimately being ‘cremated’ at the end of the show.
Works on Show:
‘Mummy, what happens when we die?’, dried London Plane Tree leaves (collected over a 2 week period), NFS.
Modern Eccentrics 
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