Jonah Burlingame

STATEMENT
My work is a journey of exploration and discovery, with each painting serving as a dialogue between the unconventional implements I use and the evolving landscape of serendipitous accidents they create.

I create abstract paintings that delve into the relationships between color, texture, and mark-making. Utilizing window squeegees and metal drywall blades, I pull paint across the surface, emphasizing imperfections as low points become filled with paint and high points accumulate more material with each sweeping stroke.

Since childhood, I have been captivated by found objects shaped by time and motion—abandoned industrial buildings with once brightly painted equipment, now marked by repeated use and overtaken by the patina of time. Similarly, nature reveals its own beauty through trees and rocks weathered by harsh environments or moss and lichen thriving in protected areas. These colors and textures are all around us.

My technique mirrors the environments that inspire me. I leave much to chance, allowing the build-up and sanding down of the surface over numerous sessions (sometimes as many as 30+ layers) to unveil each painting's unique story.

I invite you to embark on this journey of discovery with me. Be drawn to the colors and composition, and allow yourself to be pulled in to inspect the surface and textures more closely. Perhaps you too will be reminded of the wonder and discovery from your childhood.

BIO
Jonah Burlingame, a San Francisco native, represents a third generation in a family of artists. Since 1996 he has been evolving his signature technique of applying paint with non-traditional implements such as window squeegees and mortar blades, suspending each layer of paint in varnish to create paintings that harmonize within a high design environment. His work juxtaposes organic color textures with formal structural elements, which beg the viewer to imagine a world beyond the window his paintings provide.

Born in the spring of 1968 in San Francisco, but raised in Northeast Ohio where he attended Kent State University studying art history and graphic design. He now resides in Marin with his wife and two dogs where he invites you to come experience his interpretation of beauty.

SELECT EXHIBITIONS

FEATURED CORPORATE COLLECTIONS:

• The Address – Dubai
• Four Seasons – Atlanta
• Essex House - California
• Sigma West – San Francisco
• Visa Corp – Foster City
• Mandarin Oriental – Doha
• Coldwell Banker – San Francisco
• Bank of the West – San Francisco
• Marriot – Philidelphia