Jon Adams fine art practice draws upon a wide range of materials and processes which include photography, video, sound recording and digital sound and visual manipulation, 3D installations, traditional sculpture and illustration. Jon is currently a Research Fellow in Disability Arts within the Faculty of CCi at the University of Portsmouth. His work includes themes of hidden disability and positive dyslexia and Aspergers awareness combined with a subversive or geological context.

Well here we go – Open Weekend is here...

22 July 2011

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After what seems a lifetime of waiting we are here, annoyingly I couldn’t sleep and have woken early – so its Open Weekend at last. It almost feels like I am going to take an exam. All is packed and after months of preparation the big day is here (except its 3 days and like last year will blur into each other i suspect). The hall is full of kebab sticks – almost 20K and to my wife’s relief will soon be empty – not told her where all the made flags are going yet!)....

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Jon Adams on the history of the geological themes in his work

4 March 2011

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I am writing this on the train to Victoria with a long day ahead. The sun is just starting to burn through the fog, relegating it to a thin veil of mist - so I am hopefully of seeing the ‘hill’ where the latest line of my work can trace its evolution. (Having just passed through Barnham station and been reminded that my ‘Dream’ is still there, left circa 2008) Back In 08/09, when I was artist with a ‘rail company’ here in the South for my ‘Art...

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Jon Adams asks whose fault is it?

8 February 2011

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There are easy questions, some that’s are harder and maybe those that we just shouldn’t even attempt to answer. As a kid, my father wouldn’t let me have a catapult so I made one. The first time I used it I shot a nail through the shed window – to my amazement it passed right through leaving just a hole without cracking the glass. It was definitely my fault that hole was there, I chose to make the catapult, I chose to pick up the nail, pull back and let go. I did argue in...

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Jon Adams: Someone’s had all the flippin mints - part five of five

17 January 2011

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Another trip to London - this time to the ‘Our view’ presentations that Accentuate had arranged at Channel 4. A seemingly simple trip, just a train and a short walk then the bus almost to the door. Good start to the day... the train was packed but was a better type of carriage with less crammed seats and more leg room. Earlier I had been woken by the driving rain on the bathroom window and lay awake wondering how much was coming though into the very ropey conservatory. I...

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Jon Adams: Someone’s had all the flippin mints - part four 'the white rabbit is back in his hutch’

27 December 2010

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Sunday – another trip to London: Imperial War Museum private view of the Lord Ashcroft gallery. Another simple trip – just a train and a walk, the IWM being within ‘striking’ distance of Waterloo, this time south of the station. The train – ‘a long version’ with decent seats this time was going to be full – mildly surprised by this unexpected ‘Sunday aspie-irritation’ I settled down to write with headphones on. I had been to the IWM as...

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Jon Adams: Someone’s had all the flippin mints - part three of five

21 November 2010

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Saturday – waking up to London: Presenting at the British Dyslexia Association Educational Conference. I don’t think I will ever get over the shock of first signing autographs. Sure I’ve signed limited edition prints in private... but to be asked in public tastes very different. The day started with breakfast - like a time-lapse filmed affectation - its empty then you sit down look up over your weetabix and in the time its taken to get through - half the place is miraculously...

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Jon Adams: Someone’s had all the flippin mints’ - part two of five

12 November 2010

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Reading is an unnatural act: 5 November 'Dyslexia awareness week' A slightly more complex trip as it involved the underground, a new location to find and a stay. Prepared and several maps at hand we caught the train somewhat irritatingly full. Luckily an uneventful and safe journey other than some group annoyance of an incessant ‘PStick Pstick tictictictic –tic’’ of a nearby passengers music all the way, so loud you could hear every word. The excitement of heading up...

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Jon Adams: 'Someone’s had all the flippin mints’ - part one of five

10 November 2010

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Heading home: Tuesday 8 November 'Dyslexia awareness week': I seem to spend more time on trains lately than I did when I was Artist in Residence with a Rail company (I am writing this on the train). That may say one of two things – either I was quite ‘slack’ then or am busier now? I probably don’t need to answer this one but take this week – four trips to London. Lucky for me not much time spent during rush hour. I am not going into the politics of...

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Jon Adams creates flag-fields in Chatham

25 July 2010

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Sunday started misty, the view out over the river was unclear and somewhat like our ‘heads’ due to the excitement of the night before... True the karaoke stopped on time... then came the ‘louder’ music, which was evidently stopped by the hotel by literally pulling the power supply at just gone 12:07am. Up, packed and down to a not unreasonable breakfast, we were on the road by 9:30am to find fuel and water for the day. Not having been on the lines for at least 40 years I...

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Jon Adams sets flags flying at Pallant House Gallery, Chichester

24 July 2010

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So its 10:39pm and here I am in a hotel overlooking the river Medway in Kent listening to a strange mix of sirens (same as Portsmouth), the put-put of a river boat and the ‘strangled sounds of ‘bad’ karaoke downstairs (Why do they? It’s so cringingly awful If I put this on ‘youtube’ it would secure a 1,000,000 hits and be on one of those TV horror shows – am assured it will finish at 11pm!) This is In some ways very strange, as I am ashamed to say I am...

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Jon Adams organises some beautiful flag-fields for Open Weekend

23 July 2010

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Just in from a busy but quite fabulous day number ‘one’ of Open Weekend flag fielding alongside the University Staff sports day. Am sitting adding the days pictures to the Facebook groups and other people have started to do so too! For us the day started at 8:12am woken by the usual noise’s from over in Fratton station. This was a bit late for me, mainly because I was tired. I didn’t get in from the gallery trip until late, then had sort stuff for the flag making and the...

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Jon Adams is looking forwards to the Open Weekend

22 July 2010

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Open weekend is finally within grasp, just a few hours to go as I sit typing on the train heading back from installing some new work at Kaleidoscope Gallery, Sevenoaks, Kent. I have had ‘Flags’ on my mind for about 2 years now. It started when I was working as Artist on the Trains in the South East. I would look out at the ‘empty’ and ‘temptingly’ available space at the side of the track and wonder what in the brief seconds you pass would make people wonder...

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