Critics have called Provo painter Jon McNaughton's work "junk" and "visually dead as a doornail." But McNaughton isn't worried about impressing the arts community; he says his goal is to communicate a political opinion. This episode was picked by Doug Fabrizio.
Provo painter Jon McNaughton has gotten a lot of attention for his highly politicized artwork. Art critics, however, aren't impressed; they've called his paintings "junk" and "visually dead as a doornail." McNaughton says he isn't worried about impressing the arts community; his goal is to communicate a political opinion. McNaughton and others join us to talk about political imagery and the relationship between art and ideology.
This program was first broadcast on March 29, 2012.
- Visit Jon McNaughton on-line.
- Read Benjamin Park's article Art, Politics and Religion: McNaughton's Agenda at Patheos.com
- Visit artist Adam Bateman on-line
Here's what Doug Fabrizio had to say about this episode:
In 2012, we wanted to do a show about a painting that was getting a lot of attention, all over the country. It was by the Provo artist Jon McNaughton. His art isn't terribly subtle, and in it he makes some bold political statements. So, we wanted to talk to him about his pictures, which, by the way, he continues to make. These days, McNaughton is going to town on Donald Trump paintings—he's a big supporter. One painting he did shows Trump and Melania riding a motorcycle covered in American flags, with people on the sidelines cheering and saluting him. Another one shows Trump crossing the Delaware River, like George Washington.
