Key Takeaways
- Jonathan Wateridge's artwork explores themes of isolation and decadence.
- His paintings often reflect his observations of postcolonial Zambia.
- The artist's use of spectral figures creates an eerie atmosphere.
- Wateridge's work invites viewers to ponder the narratives behind his poolside scenes.
- His paintings are characterized by their luxurious and isolated settings.
Jonathan Wateridge, born in 1972, is a British artist known for his work in the Postwar and Contemporary painting scene. His art is currently on view at the Green Family Art Foundation in Dallas, and his work has previously been showcased by leading galleries and institutions, including GRIMM in London. Wateridge’s paintings have appeared at auction on numerous occasions, fetching prices between $8,750 and $502,146, depending on the piece’s scale and medium. His auction record was set in 2012, when Jungle Scene With Plane Wreck sold at Christie’s London for $502,146. His practice has attracted critical attention and has been covered by outlets such as ArtDaily, FAD Magazine, and ARTFORUM. Most recently, he was mentioned in Contemporary Art Issue (February 2025) in the feature article “How Professional Artists Finish the Edges of a Canvas: 3 Key Strategies.”
Jonathan Wateridge: Constructed Realities and the Evolution of Figuration
Born in Zambia in 1972, Jonathan Wateridge is regarded as one of the foremost figurative painters of his generation. His practice revolves around carefully staged, imagined scenes—so-called "non-events"—that invite viewers to question how reality is framed and understood. Over the past three years, his work has moved toward a more complex dialogue between figuration and abstraction, blending narrative imagery with formalist elements to reflect on the history of painting in the context of today's shifting visual culture.
Although he studied at the Glasgow School of Art in the early 1990s, Wateridge stepped away from painting until 2005, when he returned with a striking series of disaster scenes combining the melodrama of B-movies with the grandeur of romantic landscape painting. This was followed by the Group Series—elaborately staged fictional tableaus that mimicked historical commemorative images, from astronauts to Sandinista revolutionaries—several of which were featured in Newspeak: British Art Now at London’s Saatchi Gallery in 2010. His later project Another Place took the form of seven monumental paintings inspired by a fictional disaster film and explored his cinematic memory of Los Angeles. This body of work was shown at the Palazzo Grassi in Venice in 2011.
His subsequent projects have continued to develop these themes. In 2013, Inter + Vista, exhibited at L&M Arts in Los Angeles, offered a series of contemporary moments rendered through a blend of figurative and formalist approaches. In 2016, Colony, presented at Galerie Haas in Berlin, focused on the subtle, choreographed behavior of a group of young people enclosed within nondescript modern apartments—highlighting themes of isolation, control, and constructed environments.
A Cinematic World on Canvas: The Art of Jonathan Wateridge
Jonathan Wateridge creates large-scale paintings that resemble stills from an imaginary film. His scenes are both theatrical and painterly, drawing the viewer into narratives that blur the line between fiction and reality. Set in familiar yet strangely anonymous suburban American environments—a poolside gathering, a front-yard sale, a crime scene—his images feel like fragments of a story that’s never fully revealed. The settings evoke the saturated media landscape of Southern California, yet they remain suspended in ambiguity, offering no clear narrative connection.
These works possess a peculiar tension: they are at once unsettling and mesmerizing. Wateridge’s approach echoes the work of photographers like Philip-Lorca diCorcia or Larry Sultan, who infuse everyday scenes with emotional depth and narrative mystery. However, Wateridge takes it a step further—his grand compositions monumentalize the mundane, giving them a cinematic presence that suggests something momentous is about to unfold just beyond the frame.
A Return to Painting: Rediscovering the Material
Wateridge’s journey as an artist hasn’t followed a conventional path. Though initially inspired by old masters like Manet, Goya, Rembrandt, and Velázquez, he gave up painting early in his studies, convinced it was outdated and unable to speak to contemporary concerns. He turned instead to conceptual art, filmmaking, and theater, searching for modes of expression that felt more relevant. But over time, he found himself pulled back toward image-making and, eventually, toward painting again.
This return wasn’t nostalgic, but driven by a renewed appreciation for the materiality and craft of painting. What once seemed obsolete—the physical process, the tradition, the scale—became tools to explore new meaning. While his works often resemble photographs in their clarity and realism, Wateridge insists he’s not a photorealist. He paints not how a camera sees, but how the human eye perceives: selectively, impressionistically, and emotionally. His figures are rendered with a tactile presence that photographic images often lack.
Fiction, Identity, and the Power of Painting
The scenes Wateridge depicts are rich with implication but lack clear resolution. They hint at personal crises, social tensions, and an overarching, unseen disaster. Each composition invites speculation—are we witnessing a film shoot or a real event? Are the characters actors, or people caught in strange moments of their lives? These ambiguities speak to broader themes of identity, social class, and the instability of modern narratives.
Though British, Wateridge acknowledges the strong influence of American visual culture on his work. Like many raised on a diet of television and cinema, he feels deeply familiar with the aesthetics and symbolism of the U.S., even without having lived there. This sense of “second-hand experience” becomes a key element of his paintings. He’s interested in how familiar images, through repetition, become mythic—and how those myths shape our understanding of the world.
For Wateridge, painting remains a powerful tool for storytelling in a media-saturated age. Unlike photography, which often registers as a direct representation of reality, painting introduces distance, interpretation, and transformation. That subtle dislocation allows for deeper engagement. Viewers may find themselves believing in the image more profoundly because it is a painting—not in spite of it. In reclaiming the language of historical painting for modern subjects, Wateridge shows how the past can be reimagined to make sense of the present.
Solo Projects and Exhibitions
2025
Vanishing Point – GRIMM Gallery, London, UK
2023
Afterparty – Nino Mier Gallery, Soho, New York, USA
2022
Aftersun – Nino Mier Gallery, Allard 25, Brussels, Belgium
2021
Inland Water – Nino Mier Gallery, Los Angeles, California, USA
2020
This Side of Paradise – TJ Boulting, Fitzrovia, London, UK
2017
Swimmer – Galerie Haas, Zürich, Switzerland
2016
Colony – Galerie Michael Haas, Berlin, Germany
2013
Inter + Vista – L&M Arts, Venice, Los Angeles, California, USA
2011
Little Window of Opportunity – Port Jackson Press Print Room, Collingwood, Australia (as Jonathan Partridge)
Collaborative and Curated Group Shows
2025
Bestände April 2025 – Galerie Haas, Zürich, Switzerland
A Room Hung With Thoughts: British Painting Now – Green Family Art Foundation, Dallas, Texas, USA
Aligned – Nino Mier Gallery, Los Angeles, California, USA
2024
Self-Portraits – GRIMM Gallery, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Suppose You Are Not – ARTER, Beyoğlu, Istanbul, Turkey
2023
Root Systems – Nino Mier Gallery, Los Angeles, California, USA
Beach – Nino Mier Gallery, Soho and Tribeca locations, New York, USA
2022
51@51: Collected Works – Rennie Collection, Vancouver, Canada
Portrait of a Lady – Fondation Boghossian, Brussels, Belgium
2021
Mixing It Up: Painting Today – Hayward Gallery, Southbank Centre, London, UK
Rewilding – Nino Mier Gallery, Los Angeles, California, USA
Earlier Highlights
2016
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly – Charlie Smith London, London, UK
2012
Beyond Reality: British Painting Today – Galerie Rudolfinum, Prague, Czech Republic
2010
Newspeak: British Art Now, Part 2 – Saatchi Gallery, London, UK
Newspeak: British Art Now – Saatchi Gallery, London, UK
2009
Newspeak: British Art Now – State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia
FAQ
What inspires Jonathan Wateridge's spectral, isolated men and women in poolside environments?
Wateridge's work is inspired by his observations of postcolonial Zambia, exploring themes of isolation, decadence, and social discordance.
How does Wateridge's artistic style balance realism and modernism?
Wateridge's style balances realism and modernism through the integration of cinematic influences in composition and modernist visual grammar.
What is the significance of the poolside setting in Wateridge's paintings?
The poolside setting serves as a metaphorical backdrop, with water and architectural spaces holding symbolic meanings that contribute to the narrative.
How has Wateridge's style evolved over time?
Wateridge's style has transitioned from early representational works to more expressive and modernist elements, with recent stylistic developments defining his current body of work.
What techniques does Wateridge use to create his distinctive paintings?
Wateridge employs meticulous set construction, staging techniques, and collaboration with models to create a narrative, showcasing his technical mastery.
How has Wateridge's work been received by the art world?
Wateridge's work has been met with critical acclaim, exhibited in major galleries worldwide, and represented by notable galleries, garnering a significant response from the art world.
What is the lasting impact of Wateridge's poolside narratives?
Wateridge's poolside narratives have left a lasting impact on the art world, offering a unique perspective on themes of isolation, decadence, and social discordance, remaining relevant in contemporary art discourse.
What are the defining characteristics of the figures in Wateridge's paintings?
The figures in Wateridge's paintings are characterized by their isolation, often depicted in poolside environments, conveying a sense of psychological complexity.
How does Wateridge's use of color, light, and shadow contribute to his paintings?
Wateridge's sophisticated use of color theory, light and shadow techniques, and brushwork contributes to the overall impact and narrative of his paintings.
Selena Mattei
