Today we’d like to introduce you to Jonathan Maxwell.
Hi Jonathan, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
After graduating from the Maryland Institute College of Art in 1991 with a BFA in painting and sculpture, I set up a small workshop in my art studio, intending to produce utilitarian items as a way to earn a living. After completing several projects, I moved to a larger shop space and continued to expand my skill set. In 1998, I was presented with the opportunity to design and fabricate the interior metalwork for the Charles, a local art house movie theater. This commission included the concession stand, the box office, and the mezzanine railing among other items. The Charles Theater job was a real turning point for me and helped me to solidify my practice. After completing the Charles project, I continued to develop professional relationships with retail clients, designers, and architects through regional exhibits such as the American Craft Council shows and the Philadelphia furniture show. As a result, I have furniture in private collections as far away as San Francisco, California, and Toulouse, France.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
All in all, I would say things have gone pretty well. Life definitely throws some curveballs, and things don’t always work out as one would hope, but you have to take things in stride. My strategy for dealing with the ups and downs of operating a small business has always been to keep my overhead low, in order to be flexible and resilient for when things don’t go according to plan. Gratitude helps.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m probably most known for creating furniture and lighting from metal and other industrial materials. I love the idea of learning about and using traditional, and sometimes antiquated, techniques to shape my designs. While my primary focus has been on producing useful items, I’ve always maintained a visual art practice. The visual art practice allows me the opportunity to incorporate some of the skills and techniques I’ve learned as a metal worker into work that also utilizes paint and pinhole photography. The two bodies of work feed on one another, and I guess I’m most proud that I’ve been able to keep both practices alive over the years.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
It is such a different world now than when I started, so I’m not sure if any advice I may have would even be relevant. With that said, I think the basics of keeping your overhead as low as possible, connecting with as many people as possible, focusing on the positive, and staying in the “arena” even when it feels painful or pointless.
Pricing:
- Some pricing for small artworks is available at my website store. Prices for commission works are priced individually.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Maxwellstudios.com
- Instagram: @jonathanmaxwellstudio
