Jonas Wood

Jonas Wood's works have been acquired by the world's most prestigious institutions, reflecting his significance in contemporary art. The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York holds several of his vibrant interior scenes and still lifes. At theWhitney Museum of American Art, visitors can experience his unique spatial compositions that bridge abstraction and representation. The Hammer Museumin Los Angeles maintains a collection of his works that showcase his California influences. Other notable collections include the Broad Foundation, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, the Dallas Museum of Art, the Astrup Fearnley Museum in Oslo, and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago. Wood's works also feature in important private collections including those of Eli Broad and François Pinault, as well as numerous celebrity collectors.

Jonas Wood's approach to artmaking combines traditional techniques with contemporary sensibilities. Working from his spacious Los Angeles studio, Wood develops his paintings through a meticulous process that often begins with photography. He collects personal photographs, sports imagery, and interior scenes, which he then collages, grids, and transforms into his distinctive flattened compositions. This rigorous methodology reflects his interest in perception and memory, as everyday objects and spaces become reconfigured through his unique visual language.

While primarily known for his paintings, Wood has developed a significant body of work in printmaking, collaborating with several prestigious workshops. His printmaking practice began earnestly in the early 2010s and has evolved into a major aspect of his artistic output. Wood has worked with Cirrus Editions in Los Angeles for early screenprints and lithographs, Gemini G.E.L. for his celebrated "Pots" series and "Clipping" prints, Hamilton Press for botanical lithographs, Edition Copenhagen for interior scenes, and Counter Editions for more accessible editions including Olympic-themed prints. These collaborations have allowed Wood to translate his distinctive aesthetic into editions that maintain the vibrancy and spatial complexity of his paintings while exploring the unique possibilities of printmaking techniques.

Wood approaches printmaking with the same attention to color and composition that characterizes his paintings. His prints often revisit subjects from his canvases—potted plants, domestic interiors, and sports scenes—allowing him to reexamine familiar motifs through different media. The collaborative nature of printmaking, working with master printers to achieve precise color separations and registrations, complements Wood's methodical approach to image-making. 

Jonas Wood's print oeuvre has been systematically documented by his representing galleries, with David Kordansky Gallery and Gagosian maintaining comprehensive archives of his editions. While no formal catalogue raisonné has been published to date, these gallery archives serve as important reference resources for collectors and institutions.

The publication "Jonas Wood: Prints," released in conjunction with his 2018 Gagosian exhibition, provides valuable insights into his printmaking practice, featuring essays by curator Ken Allan and interviews with his printmaking collaborators. For collectors, authentication of Wood's prints is typically handled through his galleries. As his market continues to develop, more comprehensive documentation of his print oeuvre is anticipated, reflecting the increasing significance of this aspect of his practice.

Jonas Wood's contribution to contemporary art is characterized by his distinctive approach to representation and his reinvigoration of traditional painting genres such as still life, portraiture, and interior scenes. His work bridges accessibility and sophistication—offering familiar subjects rendered through a complex visual vocabulary that rewards sustained viewing. Wood's ability to reference art historical traditions while maintaining a fresh, contemporary approach has earned him a place in the ongoing dialogue about the role and relevance of painting in contemporary art.