Jono Dry’s journey with art has always been personal. He taught himself to draw. And for the most part he draws himself. Conceptually at least. Dry’s work is powerfully introspective, dealing primarily with mental stability and well-being. There’s no steady resolve. It’s honest to the journey that he’s on – his current avenue of self-exploration. But while his work is intimate, the candid revelation of his process speaks universally.
Dry’s medium is sturdy graphite, which he uses to create photorealistic art. That’s the method of delivery, but his conceptual content is more surreal. It takes a second to untangle this swirling juxtaposition: at first glance the muscular back depicted on paper looks quite literally as real as a photograph, until an anomaly is noticed – the great Kudu horns leaving the sunken head beyond. The marriage of real and surreal is really best experienced.
Dry is absorbed in an art of complexity. And it is spellbinding. Honest. He announces self-doubt boldly throughout his works, using it to channel himself into that surreal creative space from which he expresses what words cannot. He believes that doubt forms part of any creative’s life, perhaps even every person’s existence. It’s not an ominous omen for the future, but an invitation to push and reach up to a new level.
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