Jonathan-Joseph Ganjian is a New York and Connecticut based creative professional with a focus on making the world a better place and empowering his clients to think outside the box. As a contemporary artist and film producer he brings a creative streak to his more white-collar work as a strategic planning and fundraising professional; for which he is currently completing a Masters in Fundraising Management at Columbia University. He also holds a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Hofstra University. With over a decade working as a speaker, advocate, workshop facilitator and consultant, Jonathan has a unique take on not-for-profit strategy, governance, cause marketing and development. Jonathan also co-founded Art Of Dharma where their content reaches almost 7 million people through our website and social media presence. Jonathan is always looking for new and exciting projects, collaborations, clients and advocacy speaking engagements. Check out his website at www.Jonathan-Joseph.com to get in touch and get a sense of both his work and art.
Interview and photography by Odemaris Byrd
What is the one thing you feel people commonly overlook about you?
A few years ago I’d say that people overlook the fact that I’m actually quite introspective for someone so extraverted. Now, one HIV diagnosis and a countless awkward disclosures later I think people overlook the fact that some of us with HIV are in fact decent, monogamously minded and romantic individuals who are more than a status. The gay community, in an effort to separate itself from the “gay disease” notions of the 80’s has done a complete 180 and vilifies those with the virus through salacious gossip or downright hatred. Personally and with that in mind, I think people overlook the manifold ways one can GET HIV. If I had a dollar for every presumptuous fellow who assumes those who are poz are into orgies and all manner of bacchanalian excess I could send the Brady Bunch to Harvard.
As an artist, what is your goal?
My goal is to use my gifts for both my own spiritual and creative development as well as to engender change surrounding issues that resonate with me whether it be the gay experience, living as a young man with HIV or as a survivor of Cerebral Palsy ; it has always been my main goal to give voice to my inner passions, struggles and perspectives in a way that generates conversation and exploration. My main focus creatively centers around the use of texture and color to create complexity and depth. In my newest series, The Gold Series, I added light to my repertoire as I explore the multifaceted ways in which light, through the color gold, informs my compositions. As a neo-expressionist I believe in mood; I believe in the ephemeral and I believe in the capturing of a feeling on canvas. I began painting to shore up my weak motor skills as a result of my C.P. and it became such a meditative outlet that I never stopped; you could say then that I achieved that initial goal already. As a producer of mini art documentaries such as Don’t Be Afraid It’s Only Art (Google it!) my goal is to share emerging artists with the world and I’ve been lucky enough to start work on that front with online art magazine Empty Lighthouse in the near future.
Could you see yourself playing with different mediums and why?
Absolutely! I don’t really do well with restricting myself to one medium per piece. Looking through my work one will notice that most of the pieces are mixed media. I work in acrylic, oil, gouache, watercolors, pastels, spray paint and often mix them all together throughout the development of a composition. I spent my early artistic career exploring the ways in which mixing mediums resulted in complex textures resulting from the multiple chemical reactions at work; some of these early pieces took as long as three years to dry completely and represent my foray into process-centered pieces. As I’ve moved forward with my style I have taken many of these processes in part and incorporate them when appropriate.
As a homosexual, how does your sexuality affect your art and view?
I hate labels, I don’t quite feel my homosexuality comes through in my present work too directly. Don’t get me wrong, it’s there. I think that I’m a gay man, who loves to paint. My work (at least this Gold Series and most earlier pieces) generally steers clear of anything overtly political but certain pieces relate to my experiences for sure. For example the phoenix rising that you see here is in some ways an image I’ve always been drawn to. Many of us who’ve come out of the closet feel very much like a phoenix rising once we’ve allowed ourselves self-possession of who we truly are. That being said, be on the lookout for that to change decidedly within the upcoming year or two. I’m in process for about 12 pieces with a decidedly socio-political slant. (I usually juggle working on about 25-30 pieces at once in varying stages of completion). These pieces explicitly focus on not only my life as a gay man, but also my experiences with HIV/AIDS. I feel that much as my Gold Series relates to one’s inner light and strength through the luminosity of the central theme. Philanthropy is central to my work and 30% of the proceeds coming from the sale of Gold Series pieces will benefit Cerebral Palsy awareness and organizations while my HIV/AIDS pieces now underway (tentatively being called The Red Exhibit) will serve as a way for the public to see the complex world of being 26 and HIV positive through my lens and will benefit one of my client organizations AIDS Project Greater Danbury in Connecticut.
What artist do you most relate to and why?
Aesthetically I relate to the whimsy and etherial qualities of Chagall, the frenzied motion of Harring and Basquiat, the chatoic layering of Twombly alongside the texture of Clifford Still and the process of Gherhard Richter. The postmodern line-work of Miro is something new I’m working on incorporating along with some of the intensely hued patterns of Mucha and Klimt.
Personally I relate to the obsessive creative space rituals of Basquiat (though I switch out Ravel’s Bolero for Chopin’s Nocturnes) The life of Andy Warhold sometimes makes me wonder if I should start my own factory of sorts and having the privilege of working with one of he and Jasper John’s former roommates who “sees a bit of Andy” in me I can definitely say I borrow his penchant for the absurd. As both an artist and creative entrepreneur I really love Andy’s take on Business and art, and the business of art. Check out The Philosophy of Andy Warhol I promise you’ll thank me after you’ve read it.
How would you choose to spend your retirement?
What’s retirement? I’m completely allergic to that concept. I am a creator, I will always be a creator, and it’s usually when a creative is told to stop creating that they go a bit crazy. I will be painting, writing and developing my professional practice until I’m out of air. I like things that way and I believe not everyone is meant to retire, some of us are just supposed to keep on truckin’ or we’d lose our minds. I get this from my amazing father; the drive to work and productively affect society runs deep in my family and transcends the fact that I was adopted.
Do you think you or anyone can change humanity?
Absolutely and completely. I think we get bogged down as individuals thinking that “change” has to always be magnanimous and grandiose to matter. What about aggregating the little changes? What about allowing for the possibility that small changes add up to big ones? As a Buddhist I believe in something we call interdependent origination. This is the concept that everything any being does, (not just humans!) affects all other beings. I take this concept to heart and believe that if one strives for the betterment of their fellow creatures, even if in small ways they are changing humanity every day. If you are walking down the street and are able to help a small child smile by tossing a ball back and forth or giving them an ice cream on a hot day just because; aren’t you teaching them the way to change humanity through kindness? If you are an artist or a creator and you put your passions on the line for the perusal of the masses, are you not changing the predominant notion that feelings should be bottled up, which in it’s own way changes humanity if only for those affected by your work? Changing humanity happens each time we hold a door, tip a hat, drop some change in a guitar case and hand food to the needy. It happens when we pour our hearts into our creations and share them in good faith, it happens even when we simply say thank you or release a fly outside instead of killing him. Yes, I believe that. Be an artist, be a soldier of your passions and that will change the world even if you’re never told how. Especially those of us who are queer; we have a duty to rise above and beyond stereotypes, conventions and labels. Those of us with a voice amplified through the creative arts should feel called to bring our community together and to create the opportunity for dialogue and expression. Especially among the younger set I see too much fracturing between gay men, lesbians, the trans community, the bisexual and asexual communities as well as the HIV positive versus the negative. If more of us were to use our gifts and voices to combat the unique stigmas each of these groups faces we can, all together change our individual and collective sense of humanity.
How does having ataxic cerebral palsy effect your art?
Truthfully, a fair amount. Ataxic CP is the rarest form of CP and primarily affects the cerebellum. My CP affects depth perception, fine motor skills and some bone and joint issues. As a kid I had the whole leg braces, eye patch…perhaps that’s what gave me such a thick skin early in life, who knows? When it comes to my art though, it makes each piece more of a struggle than it may perhaps appear to an onlooker. Precise line-work, shading and the like are many many times more difficult for me than one without CP. Each move I make is extremely deliberate and focused because if not, it would probably not land where it should, look how it should or just kill my composition. I have re-started works entirely as a result of setbacks related to my motor skills but am happy to say that as the years go by this gets less and less common which must mean my whole notion that painting will help me combat my disability has some shred of validity. I believe that without CP my work would suffer a loss of focus, my struggle is part of my art, it’s part of who I am and as I get stronger so does my art. I’m furiously excited to see where my work takes me in the next ten years. If you’d seen my early high school art and handwriting and compare it to my work now, you’d see how far it’s come. I encourage anyone with any sort of disability like mine to look at painting or the creative arts as not a means to an end but a way of recording the journey one takes in re-connecting with their own body or mind and how they work.
With your nonprofit work, what do you think is lacking in most people’s business plans?
Before I answer this let me start with hoping you and your readers can start helping us shift the way we talk about 501(c)3 organizations. “Nonprofit“ is a misnomer. It is rife with connotations that allow the third sector to fall prey to feeling like they should “take what they can get” and allows a vast array of competent professionals to be underpaid, leading to under-innovation and poorer mission-related outcomes. That’s why I prefer the term not-for-profit because these organizations DO make a “profit” which is simply termed Net Assets and gets turned back into the organization for programming and overhead as well as strategic reserves.
Now that that’s out of the way, I gather what you mean by this is what is the most common problem that I see within the organizations with which I’m involved. I think the biggest challenge for both donors and organizations is acknowledging that the NFP sector is rapidly changing and professionalizing at a rapid pace. The fact is that competent fundraisers, development professionals and executive directors are hard to come by and they’re too often seen in a negative light. We are slaves to “ratios” which allegedly promote programming over the actual functions needed to run an office and mission driven organization. 10% of a budget for fundraising is like a private company only putting 10% into their sales and R&D…they’d never innovate if that were the case; we’re no different. Too many organizations are terrified to try new programming, seek more funds and do more good because of the blind allegiance to the belief that 100% of donations should go to programming. This kills organizations. Frankly, I think we’re in the middle of a vast awakening of the millennial generation in terms of new ways to engage constituents and volunteers, venture philanthropists in terms of strategic donations and hyper-focused foundational support. We need to ask ourselves what our real goals are for the organizations and missions we believe in and begin to understand that restricting the amount they can spend on staff training, securing the best talent and investing in development is the best way to grow the pie, instead of assuming it is only such and such a size. I don’t have space here, but please if you are involved in ANY not-for-profit in any way check out Dan Pallota’s TED talk on the way we think about philanthropy to understand the thinking behind my ethos on NFP’s and their continued survival.
Can someone change the world?
We already do. We change it when we teach a child, or spread ideas, or create art for others to enjoy. We change the world when we shift from “I” to “we” and when we walk with gratitude. If what you mean is, “Can someone single handedly change major things in our world?” We still already do; ask every gay and bullied kid in rural High Schools who resiliently forges ahead with pride moving the cause of equality forward in the sticks; ask Malala Yousafzai, Frank Ocean or Aung San Suu Kyi about how they’ve changed the world. Yes, we can all change the world with the right impetus, focus, vision and tenacity.
Who is the sexiest person alive?
Oh god, so many delicious men…Ben Cohen a) because he’s a stud and b) because he’s a great ally to the LGBTQ community. Ji Wallace because he’s not only beautiful and an athlete but a fantastic leader for the gay and HIV positive communities. If you can set up a date guys, let me know!
What do your parents have to say about your art/lifestyle?
I came out at the tender age of 14, before the wave of awesomely self-aware young people we see challenging the status quo now. My parents have always been supportive and although at first they pushed back and shepherded my to one shrink after another looking to be told there was a “fix” quickly realized the problem was with them. Don’t get me wrong my mom was an old school Italian from the Bronx and my dad is from Iran, both pretty macho cultures; it was a shock for them, but I’m blessed to have known they both support and love me unconditionally even if the transition was jarring for them. My dad was after all the first person I called when I found out I have HIV and that is a blessing many in my shoes do not have. Look at the epidemic of LGBTQ homeless youth, and those turned away because they have HIV and it’s easy to see why I feel so lucky. When it comes to my art, my father has always been supportive and loves each of my pieces. He loves to talk about what he sees in them and is almost as excited as I am when a new one is finished. Unfortunately my mother passed away before I really dug into my production but she was my biggest advocate growing up. If not for her unrivaled persistence in getting me the therapy I needed for my physical and motor skill issues stemming from my Cerebral Palsy I know for a fact I could not produce the art that I do. I’d say that’s as supportive as one gets.
What is the most rewarding/challenging part of your art and business and why?
The most challenging part of my art is letting a piece be “finished” I’m notorious for tweaking and editing and a lot of the time I have to step back and say, “Stop freaking touching it dude, its fine!” When it comes to my business I can’t tell you enough how rewarding it is to put oil in the engine of philanthropy. I’ve fallen into my chosen career path directly as a result of my Buddhist practice and the concept of right livelihood. I’ve been a Buddhist for six years, and am the co-founder of Art of Dharma (check us out on Facebook!) I got into this field after about a decade of having been a speaker, workshop facilitator and advocate for a variety of Not-for-profits while also juggling the consultancy I began in 2006 which focused on copy writing, editing and business plans; after Hofstra I combined my passions to switch my track from individuals and small businesses to the NFP sector. Now I am completing my Masters in Fundraising Management at Columbia and am always looking for new opportunities to speak or consult for NYC tri-state area organizations.
You speak a mile a minute, do you find it hard for people to keep up?
Yes, sometimes I do, but when I’m behind a podium or delivering a speech it’s almost as though a weird switch goes off and I can slow down my ideas. I think it’s a direct consequence of simply having too many ideas wanting to bubble up at once. As I get older I’m finding it easier and easier to stem the flow when the need arises, but my default setting is in fact: tornado. Some people can’t keep up and I try to accommodate them, but other times you just have to grab on for the ride, it is worth it though. Meditation helps immeasurably with this facet of my character.
What is your criteria for success?
I have none. My criteria for success changes daily depending on what I’m working on. Holistically I could say that my criteria is being able to share my passions, talents and perspectives with the world while keeping myself on a Buddhist track. I could say that my criteria is being represented by Gagosian or showing at Art Basel, or having my first major installation piece (which I’m working on, stay tuned!) but those are all transient goals. My ultimate goal is to smile often, love all and keep on creating and changing our world for the better. The rest is gravy. Oh, and I’d love to find a boo, boys, let’s grab a drink!
