Jonathan Gilhooly’s work is concerned with the relationship between art, magic, and perception. This relationship is explored through a variety of media, and attempts to reproduce some of the forms and strategies associated with the magic act, and to consider how the effects of the magic illusion might position the viewer in relation to a set of beliefs about the world. In this sense the magic act (and/or object) operates as a kind of fulcrum between the work and the viewer, signposting a particular orientation towards the work, but simultaneously destabilizing any straightforward response in favour of a more complex set of reflections.
Jonathan Gilhooly has exhibited widely both regionally and nationally, and has received several financial awards from Arts Council England and other funding bodies. His work incorporates a diverse set of practices including video, installation, text, and performance. He is a lecturer in Humanities at Brighton University, and lives and works in Brighton.