Art has the power to tell beautiful stories, and we are thrilled to introduce you to not one, but three exceptional artists! Explore art with Darren Jones' mixed media paintings, travel deep into the cold Antarctic with photographer Jonathan Pozniak, or immerse yourself in Chris Zaccaria's colorful Abusive Robot World! These artists have truly stunning one-of-a-kind pieces that you must see! Read on to learn more about each of their distinct art forms, including the process, inspirations, and any future exciting art pieces!

Darren Jones

Where are you based?
I’m a Chicago-based artist that was born in Canada. I have been living here in Chicago for the past 22 years, moving from Windsor, Ontario. My current art studio is located in the Ravenswood neighborhood, north of downtown on the sixth floor of the historic Manz building, which, back in the day, was the former location for the printing presses for Esquire and Playboy magazine.

What inspired you to get into art?
Growing up, my parents were very supportive of the arts and constantly exposed me and my siblings to the art world in all forms, dance, music and art. There are definitely some creative genetics involved too, but for some reason I fought that when I was younger. After moving to Chicago to work in the corporate world, a little voice kept calling out to me to find something more creative to do with my life. One night, I bought a starter oil kit, and began to paint. I haven’t stopped since. I was laid off from my travel executive position in 2009 and decided to take the leap to be a full-time artist and over a decade later, I am still painting away!

How would you describe your art? What is your technique? Do you have any favorite tools or color palettes?
I am what is considered a mixed media painter creating contemporary botanical and abstract landscapes. I use an emotive color palette combined with acrylics, beach sand (from my family cottage), industrial staples, recycled wood fibers, and shredded paper fibers (my studio bills) to create a profound message along with their interplay of light which focus on the dynamic shapes of the natural world. A variety of techniques are used, such as using both of my hands as my tools to apply both the textures and layers of the paint on the canvas or wood panels, with almost no brush or palette knife work applied. I work with a broad spectrum of colors, but for most of my artistic career, I tend to favor the blue color palette. Aside from my hands, my favorite tool is the staple gun!

How long does it take to create your art pieces?
Because of the complex layering process of both the underlying textures and the multiple layers of paint, pieces can take anywhere from two to six weeks to complete. However, I have created work within two days and have had others that took six months to a year to be completed.

Your pieces are stunning! We love how they pull from nature. Can you explain your process? What do you see and how do you translate it?
Thank you so much! For the majority of my work, each piece is inspired somehow by nature. Now, this can be somewhere I have traveled, something specific I have seen, or simply a color I found here in the city, or anywhere in the world. From that inspiration, I translate it onto a panel or canvas, using my style as an abstract artist. A perfect example would be the creation of my current “One Can Dream Series.” This series, which I developed eight years ago, was entirely inspired by an old telephone pole I came across when in Mykonos, Greece. While on holiday, I walked by this pole multiple, multiple times without noticing it at all. One evening after a wonderful dinner with friends, (and maybe some wine) I was walking back to the hotel when I was stopped in my tracks seeing this pole lit up at night. It was so mesmerizing as it appeared to be more of a sculpture with all the layers of staples, paint, fabric and paper. I didn’t take a photo of the pole, but the image was seared into my memory. It took me about six months after this trip to come up with the concept for my new series. The initial painting was very white washed and rusty, whereas now I work in my color palette to create these textural abstract landscapes. Each painting in the “One Can Dream Series” is created using industrial staples, plaster, beach sand, shredded paper, and anywhere from 30 to 50 layers of color. Throughout any of my travels, I am inspired when hiking in Colorado, or walking the beaches in the Turks and Caicos Islands. It can be as simple as seeing the color of the water that develops an image that remains in my head until it can be used to inspire an entire painting, or possibly a new series.

Is there a particular part of nature that you find you keep revisiting? If so, why?
Growing up in Canada and living in Chicago has allowed me the luxury of living next to major bodies of water, specifically the Great Lakes, all of my life. I find myself always drawn to water and I am constantly revisiting the emotions, power and beauty it brings, whether it is a lake or the ocean there is something so moving and special to it. The vastness can be overwhelming, but I take that emotion and incorporate it into work that becomes serene and soothing.

Do you have any pieces that have particularly great meaning to you?
Yes, there are certain pieces that changed the creative direction of me as an artist over the years. Each of these paintings represent the beginning of a new collection, a shift in perspective, or change in technique/painting style that happened to me during my journey as an artist. They each are a snapshot capturing a specific moment in time. These pieces currently reside in my personal collection at home to remind me where I started, how I have changed and the trajectory I am taking.

We learned that, in addition to serving on the board of DIFFA Chicago, you frequently donate art for specific events and charities that benefit the LBGTQ+ community. Can you elaborate on why this is so important to you?
As an openly gay male artist, I feel there is an importance to give back to your own community that supports you. Whether it is donating artwork to LBGTQ+ fundraising efforts, or being a part of an organization such as DIFFA Chicago, I try to be involved as much as my schedule can allow me to. There is such a sense of gratification knowing your artwork has helped someone!

You also are involved with helping raise money for kids and mental health. Why are these issues important to you?
When I first moved to Chicago, I was introduced to one of the directors at the Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago at a local fundraising event, and we became fast friends. Over the first few years, we would chat about art and various programs at the hospital. I had the opportunity to visit and paint and create with the children, it moved me so much, and changed my priorities to see such hope and inspiration from these little ones that were going through so much, yet had all the excitement to create! So for my annual studio open house, I donate 10% of my sales to the hospital, which is specifically earmarked for the art supplies for the children. In regards to mental health, I believe art can help the creative side and can stimulate the brain, whether through the creative process or simply viewing work. So, over the years, I have always helped by donating art to various causes that focus on mental health, as I believe it is an issue that needs so much more attention in today’s world!

Any new art pieces that will be held at the Hudson Yards Gallery that you are particularly excited about?
I am planning new work for the next show at the Hudson Yards Gallery that will combine two of my current collections, my “One Can Dream” and my “Inner Courage” series. It is an exciting new direction and I just love the evolution it is taking me on.

How has COVID influenced you as an artist? Do any of your paintings represent this time period?
When lockdown hit here in Chicago, I had actually just sprained my ankle the week before in a jiu jitsu session. So I had several weeks away from the studio, forced to stay on the couch! As I healed and once I was able to walk, I started to go back to the studio. Since I work alone, I felt it a safe space to be even with the city locked down. With all art shows, gallery openings and exhibitions canceled, I was presented with the freedom to just paint and create without the pressure of producing for the next show or event. It was a very freeing moment! But, at the same time, I then had the pressure and stress of not having all of these shows, which were the main source of income for a full-time artist. With all of that, a new collection was born that allowed me to just let go of all my emotions and wash them onto the canvas. My “Inner Courage Series” was developed during lockdown and still is my latest collection that I continue to paint today. With this series, I developed new layering techniques and added to new textural elements.

What is your motto in life?
I am not sure I have a motto in life, but on every painting I create, I write this quote on the back of the canvas or panel. “May your heart guide you to your true passion.” It is a little mantra I use to remind myself, as to how lucky I am that I discovered my passion with painting and finally following the journey I was meant to be on, and sending a little hope to each collector to follow their heart.

To keep up with Darren Jones, follow his platforms below:
Instagram: DarrenJonesArt
Website: www.darrencjones.com

Jonathan Pozniak

Where are you based?
I’m based happily in New York City, my home for the last 20 years. But I spend lots of time in Sedona to balance me out.

What inspired you to pursue a career in photography? What are your favorite subjects or locations to photograph?
Photography chose me. As simple as that sounds, once I walked into the darkroom for the first time, it clicked (no pun intended) and I knew that was my path. Truth be told, I was the worst student at first and just couldn’t grasp the concept of negatives and light. The teacher’s assistant was very patient and stayed after class for hours explaining the concepts to me until I got it, and the rest was history. Back then, I wanted to shoot fashion, yet when I moved to New York City and started doing it, I realized fast that that world was not for me. I found a happier niche in the beauty industry and have been shooting for the L’Oreal brands for the last 15 years. People used to say a “real artist” is a sellout if they do commercial work and I always disagreed. The things you learn from shooting a famous model can help inform a travel or food image. I’ve always let those different genres help each other out, and I couldn’t have done my best travel work without them. That said, in 2010, I felt a strong desire to hit the road and experience something new. I went to Antarctica and my world creatively was tipped upside down, figuratively and literally. We had a rough three day sail from the Falkland Islands to South Georgia, a remote mountainous island better known as Shackleton’s old stomping ground. Through 30 foot waves and storm clouds, I finally saw the jagged peaks rising out of a black sea, and as we got closer to shore, I saw through my binoculars tens of thousands of black and white specks going all the way up into the hills. What I was seeing was my first king penguin rookery. Landing on shore was like being on another planet. The penguins would walk up to us, check us out like self important high schoolers and then go about their business. For the first time, this was their world and I was the strange visitor. It taught me what nature really was and I fell in love with cold remote places immediately. Once we sailed further south into iceberg territory, I knew it would become a long-term project.

Your photography is stunning! Clearly you are very inspired by nature. Do you have a favorite place you have photographed?
Thank you! My connection to nature took on a life of its own in Greenland. After Antarctica, I went to a new cold place each year to shoot more ice. But it was in Greenland that the psychic connection made itself known. On my first day, I strapped on crampons and hiked on the ice cap. The scope of it is mind blowing, but what stopped me in my tracks was that the ice started speaking to me. It knew everything about me like an old wise teacher. To say it took me by surprise is an understatement, and since then, not just the intuitive connection to ice has remained strong, but connecting with trees and wild animals has taken my work to a whole other level. It all might sound woowoo, and I can say with certainty that it 100% is.

You seem to be attracted to the cold. What is it about these frozen lands that inspires you?
The energetics of cold remote places can fill me up in a way that no other place can. When I say energetics, it’s really the energy you can tap into there. There’s an unencumbered simplicity where your thoughts are clearer, your intuition is sharper, and you can listen closer. It’s something you have to experience to understand. These places are very misunderstood, but they understand ME in a way that most people couldn’t. They give a home to my thoughts, they offer advice to my insecurities, and they solidify my backbone in the face of my fears. While I love deserts and megacities and rainforests, only when I go geographically further north on the planet can I recalibrate myself back to what’s truly me.

Over your years of shooting ice, have you noticed any changes due to global warming? What are your thoughts on this issue?
Well, I haven’t been to the same place twice yet. I think if I did, I’d see the changes and probably fall apart! While I love so many landscapes and have felt connected to so many places, the polar landscapes are the ones that are dying the fastest. I don’t want to pretend I’m a scientist — they can speak far more competently on that; and I won’t get myself caught in the web of virtue signaling about how to save the planet. I still fly on airplanes, some disposable plastics are unavoidable, and the myths of “eating meat is killing the planet” have been debunked tenfold. That said, my purpose is to document these landscapes in a creative space. I can’t be a scientist, but I can be an artist, and these places will be my priority until there are palm trees growing in Greenland.

Any new exciting projects/travels you are looking forward to?
Great question! I’m currently in Sedona planting seeds for a few new things that I don’t want to jinx! Later this year my assignment work will pick back up in West Africa, and I can’t wait to be on the road again.

Any new art pieces that will be held at the Hudson Yards Gallery that you are particularly excited about?
As of right now we don’t have any forthcoming shows scheduled yet!

What impact has COVID had on your photography? I know in the past you have traveled all over the world. How did COVID impact that? Are you back to traveling?
If you told me at the start of Covid that I wouldn’t leave the country for the next three years, I would’ve checked myself into a mental institution. But it was honestly fine to be grounded for a while. I dove into my archives, took stock of what I’d done, and hibernated creatively which we all need from time to time. It’s hard for me to be “on” consistently, hence going into nature to hide out and recalibrate myself. Contrary to what my fellow New Yorkers believe, not to mention the old photo industry standard of “you’re only as good as your last shoot”, rest is unbelievably important. I need periods when things are slower, even though it’s hard to admit it at the time. Instead of exotic adventures and glamorous assignments, I was able to explore the country a little more once things opened back up and living here is a huge gift. We have so many incredible places, and Redwoods National Park was one of the most astonishing places I’d ever been. It was truly a religious experience.

What is your motto in life?
No one is your friend; no one is your enemy; everyone is your teacher.

To keep up with Jonathan Pozniak, follow his platforms below:
Instagram: @jonathanpozniak
Website: www.jp-fineart.com

Chris Zaccaria AKA Abusive Robot

Where are you based?
I am based in Brooklyn, NY.

What inspired you to want to become an artist?
I believe that I have always been an artist, and I was brought into this life to have that experience. I have produced art for a long time, but was afraid to share my work with the world — my art chronicles my soul’s journey through this life so sharing that felt too vulnerable. It was the death of my mother that gave me the courage to share my work with the world, living through that taught me that showing my truest self to others really was not that scary.

Why did you choose the name Abusive Robot for your artwork collection? What does it mean to you?
The name Abusive Robot started as a joke. I made a toy robot with a button where if you pushed the button the robot would say something nasty to you. After that idea was put on hold, I kept the URL. When I wanted a new pen name I thought to myself, “I still own that URL and I love that name!”. The Abusive Robotics Company is all about creating moments of joy and happiness. The idea is that by facing the darkness we can work through that energy and ultimately find the light. It is that emotional journey - and the associated release - that brings joy and happiness.

You are a painter and multimedia artist, how would you describe your art? Do you have any favorite tools or color palettes?
I would describe my art as a juxtaposition between zany, fun colors, whimsical creatures and sometimes serious subject matter. My work always chronicles my journey through life, sometimes it dredges my deepest emotions, other times it’s based on lighter observations of life, such as most of the work I produced in Serbia. As for tools, I love acrylic paint — it’s very bold and dries quickly (when I paint I like to see progress immediately - I have a mantra “paint on canvas” that I use to motivate myself - I know that with each stroke I am making progress). In terms of color palette I want my work to look like a disco unicorn ate too many rainbows and threw up all over a canvas — the brighter the better. Recently I started to get more into fluorescents. I plan to stay there for a while.

What is the significance of the alien-like creatures?
The origin of the creatures is that they represent different forces in my life. When vulnerability was very hard for me I could tell you my innermost thoughts and feelings by painting a creature and having the piece represent the emotion and associated struggle. It was something for me to hide behind. The alien-like creatures are also very playful and fun. At heart I am a playful person, and I love to juxtapose something happy and playful with something intense. It speaks to the facade that a lot of gay men develop where we are expected to be perfect, but below the surface we are really struggling.

Your work is so creative, we are obsessed! Can you tell us a bit about what inspires you?
Thank you! Inspiration happens in two ways. Sometimes it just kind of comes to me. It’s hard to explain. but it tends to happen in the mornings. Often when exercising, which I view as a kind of meditation. I take in a lot of information - as we all do - all day long. Then, out of nowhere, I get a vision of something, it just “clicks” and I realize what I have been seeing and how it relates. In other cases I see something or feel connected to something and it just resonates with me. So I feel compelled to show the world how I see that thing in my mind’s eye. For some additional context, I see the world through the eyes of a guy who was a child in the 1980’s and really came to in the 1990’s, and in some ways I am stuck in that more analog, fuzzy world. Often I will see a person and he will just turn into a muppet in my mind’s eye, or I imagine that a couple at an outdoor cafe is suddenly dressed as lobsters. I have a really active imagination and having so many people and so much energy around really helps to fuel my imagination.

Your story about your mother is heartbreaking. How did your art evolve after her passing?
After her death I plunged into the darkness. It was not just the death of my mother, but the end of a long relationship - basically a marriage - that followed shortly thereafter. There was a lot going on. It became extremely apparent that there was a lot of dredging that needed to be done. I started to chip away at that darkness, looking at my alcohol and drug consumption, my lingering lack of self acceptance regarding how I looked and my sexuality from my childhood and what was making me so needy. My art was instrumental in working through all of those issues. Don’t get me wrong - it’s a lifelong thing - but me today vs. me years ago is a night and day comparison. Her death also caused me to view my art more seriously. All of my creative talent comes from her, and her passing forced me to see that a seemingly healthy person can suddenly die and that life is finite. That propelled me forward - to create, to show and to travel for my art - most recently to Serbia and next month to Greece. In Serbia I had a powerful realization - that my dreams and my goals have never been aligned. Meaning that my goals had always been status or financially driven, but my dream was to be an artist and to share my work with the world. Coming to terms with this has brought a lot of light into my life, and with that light my work has shifted to become more playful and graphic. At the moment, most of my work is focused on letting go and the emotional release that came with allowing myself to be who I am at my core.

Mental health through tough times is very important. How has your art helped your mental health?
Art has been tremendously helpful to my mental health. I often find that by the time I am done painting a traumatic moment, a memory, etc. that I no longer am so affected by it. There is something so cathartic about the process — like I put my energy in the piece and let go as part of the process. Being able to see an image that represents something that I saw or lived through also has a powerful impact on my mental health. It’s like reading the summary of a book. The whole story is laid out right in front of me, lesson included. I can see the role I played in the situation, the way out and often what got me there to begin with all at once.

Do your favorite pieces come from something hard that happened to you or a celebration? Is it challenging for you to look at some of your past work?
My favorite piece is called “Self-Hatred in the 1990’s”, and it looks at my childhood as a
closeted gay kid in suburban Philadelphia. The bird (who represents me) is surrounded by all the external reasons why he told himself he was unhappy, all to take attention away from the fact that he was gay and could not admit it. If you look at that piece the bird is actually destroying himself in it. Because so much of my work is based on trauma, I can safely say that a lot of it is based on something that has happened to me — mostly sad things at the moment. It can be hard to look at some of my past work, not because it’s too emotional - more because I view some of it as crap - but dealing with that is part of my journey. That journey continues.

How has COVID influenced you as an artist? Do any of your paintings portray this time period? Did it influence or affect your creativity?
COVID gave me the opportunity to really focus on producing art. My nights and weekends were entirely occupied with art. It also slowed my life down so much at a time when I really needed to work through a lot of the trauma that I had faced. That slow pace allowed me to unpack my emotions and produced what I consider to be some of my best work. The only COVID-specific painting that I have is “Hovid-19”. It’s a painting of the Coronavirus against a backdrop of Barbie pink. Hovid is a 19-eyed monster with a giant penis because he is here to f%&# the world :)

The pandemic was very challenging for everyone’s mental health. How did you manage to stay sane during this time?
A group of friends and I committed to workout out every day in the park by where we lived. That got me out of the house each morning, moving around and seeing people in the safety of the outdoors. I honestly had so much fun with them - we became a pandemic pod - inseparable really. It was a powerful reminder of the importance of human connection for me.

Do you have any advice for others struggling through tough times?
My primary advice is to be kind to yourself. We all have ups and downs in our lives and allowing yourself to feel the sadness, pain, etc. is how we process that pain. Remembering that and loving yourself for who you are and where you are can help remove one thing to be upset about. There are also a few things here that I learned from the death of my mother that may be helpful. My mother was a very loving person, I learned that by sharing some of that love with others it helps me to feel close to her, but also honors that I still have a lot of my own life to live. Second, is to try to remember that when we are sad, struggling, etc. Sometimes we do things that “don’t seem like us”. That is OK, when we are suffering we are temporarily not ourselves. Also to try to remember that life is not about falling apart, it’s about putting yourself back together. It’s a journey.

Any new art pieces that will be held at the Hudson Yards Gallery that you are particularly excited about?
My hope is that Hudson Yards Gallery will show a large-scale piece that I am working on right now - 9.5’ x 4’. It’s my shadow monster, he is designed to be hung six feet from the ground and towers over the viewer with a cartoony glare. He represents my experience as a short person in the world, where it always feels like people are towering over me. However, he does so in a way that is light hearted and goofy. My art is evolving to become more graphic, in part because I am in a better place in life, and in part because I plan to get more into murals and the commercial space.

What is your motto in life?
Only the darkness can bring the light.

To keep up with Chris Zaccaria, follow his platforms below:
Instagram: CZaccaria22
Website: www.abusiverobot.com
Email: chris@abusiverobot.com
Intro Video: https://vimeo.com/716783232

The Connection Between Art and Sexuality

Darren Jones

Jonathan Pozniak

Chris Zaccaria AKA Abusive Robot