ART IN THE BAR: Jon Pountney

About

Hard light catches the swish of a grubby lace curtain, or casts a shadow across the delicate, threadbare surface of a mattress, to elevate the seemingly mundane into something extraordinary and beautiful. The hard glare of the sun makes the subject appear hyper-real; rendering the everyday unfamiliar and enigmatic.

Jon Pountney is not merely a spectator, choosing to capture moments that take place within the community in which he lives and works. This familiarity with his subjects helps to imbue the work with empathy and creates intriguing narratives that are all more absorbing because, with one exception, the works are bereft of real human presence. 

About the Artist

Jon Pountney is an artist based in South Wales. His work spans photography, painting, drawing, and filmmaking. He is interested in creating narratives through this imagery; exploring the idea of a 'sense of place' and often creating work that is routed in specific locations or communities.

Previous projects include ‘Cardiff before Cardiff’, which uncovered an unseen photographic collection of the 1970/80s and later became a publication and exhibition at the Wales Millenium Centre, Cardiff. He has been selected as Artist in Residence for Cadw, firstly at Castell Coch and then again at the world heritage site of Blaenavon. In 2015, the BBC commissioned him to present the documentary, Forgotten Images of Valley Life.

Currently, Jon is working on a joint commission for the National Assembly.