Amy Nutt Advocation

– October 1, 2010Posted in: about

To Whom It May Concern,

I am writing on behalf of artist Jon Sarkin, from Gloucester, Mass. U.S.A. Currently, I am writing a biography of Jon for Free Press, a division of Simon & Schuster, based on a multi-part series I wrote last year for my newspaper, The Star-Ledger (Newark, N.J.). The series, called, “The Accidental Artist,” was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize in Feature Writing in 2009. I firmly believe that honor was bestowed not only because of the extraordinary story of Jon’s recovery from a devastating stroke, but because of the sheer brilliance of Jon’s artistry.
I have known Jon for some seven years, meeting him at his first major art show in New York City at the Diane von Furstenberg Gallery. I was immediately struck by the abundance of Jon’s work, but even more so by its originality, his intricate juxtaposition of text and image, and the often wry or ironic cultural commentary embedded in each piece.

Since that time, Jon’s art has become deeper and broader. His work now spans many varied genres, from collage to portraiture, cartoon caricatures to abstract landscapes, and is nothing short of breathtaking. Jon is a truly gifted contemporary artist. And the reason has little to do with his stroke. Art gave Jon a way to more fully express himself after his brain betrayed him, radically altering his ability to walk, to feel, to hear and to understand the world around him. And we, as the audience for his art, are the richer for it.

Warmest Regards,
Amy Ellis Nutt

Staff Writer
The Star-Ledger
One Star-Ledger Plaza
Newark, NJ 07102-1200
(973) 392-1794

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