Jonathan Horowitz was born on January 8, 1966, in New York City. He grew up in a culturally rich environment that sparked his early interest in art and culture. Horowitz attended the Dalton School in Manhattan and later went on to study at Wesleyan University in Connecticut, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1987. His educational background provided him with a strong foundation in both liberal arts and visual culture.
Horowitz's career began in the early 1990s when he started to gain recognition for his multimedia and conceptual art. His early works often incorporated elements of video, sound, and installation, reflecting his interest in the intersection of media, politics, and pop culture. Horowitz's work frequently critiques consumerism, celebrity culture, and the political landscape, themes that would become central to his practice.
Horowitz is known for his provocative and often humorous approach to art. He employs a variety of media, including video, photography, painting, and sculpture, to explore contemporary social issues. His work is characterized by its critical engagement with mass media and its exploration of the ways in which media shapes public perception and cultural identity.
One of Horowitz's notable techniques is the appropriation of existing media and imagery, which he recontextualizes to reveal underlying social and political messages. This approach aligns him with the traditions of Pop Art and Conceptual Art, and he is often compared to artists like Andy Warhol and Marcel Duchamp.
Over the years, Horowitz has produced a number of significant works that have been widely exhibited in galleries and museums around the world. Some of his notable projects include:
- Go Vegan" (2002): An installation featuring video and sound elements that promote veganism and critique the meat industry.
- Obama '08" (2009): A video installation that reflects on the election of Barack Obama and the political climate of the time.
- Occupation" (2011): A series of works that respond to the Occupy Wall Street movement, exploring themes of economic inequality and protest.
Horowitz's works have been featured in prominent institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Tate Modern in London, and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York.