Essay by Matt Lennert
Many years ago, while touring the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing building with my wife, the word “Krause” spilled from my lips in an almost reflexive manner as I spotted a poster 50 feet away. My wife looked at me askance, wondering why I had said “frilly” in German—but in fact, I had instantly identified the blow-up of a Johns Hopkins Nursing magazine cover as Jon Krause’s work. I had then worked with him perhaps only a couple of times, but the recognition was instantaneous. Since that day in Baltimore, I have added at least another two dozen of Jon’s illustrations to my portfolio. And I’m just as excited to see his work in Communication Arts or other annuals where I know it in a second.
Interview: Communication Arts
Jon Krause was interviewed by Anne Telford, Editor-at-Large of Communication Arts for the 2015 Advertising Annual 56. The eight-page profile includes 14 color reproductions of Jon’s work.
“An ironic heart beats beneath the calm, flat surface of Philadelphia illustrator Jon Krause’s art. Whether it’s a nude young woman snapping a selfie, her erogenous zones hidden by cartoonish blank dialogue boxes, or a man perched on a box, the faded shapes of previous habitation a reminder of life before the deluge, Krause pulls us into the illustration and the story it tells.”
Jon Krause: A Philadelphia Illustrator with a Compelling Visual Vocabulary
Anne Telford, December 2015
Gold Medal: Society of Illustrators
Jon Krause has received a Gold Medal for his illustration entitled “The Invisible Puppeteer/Tourette’s Syndrome” for NYU School of Medicine. Art director by Johanna Savad. The illustration will be included in the Society of Illustrators’ annual exhibition, Illustrators 58.
Interview: Art Business News
“In the simplest terms, what separates illustration from fine art is a paycheck. Illustrators are paid to bring an idea to life, whether it’s the science behind the human brain or a child’s fairy tale—all while meeting a deadline. An artist, on the other hand, may spend a lifetime chasing a personal muse and never see a cent for it.”
Is There a Fine Art to Illustration?
September 2013
Exhibition: The Art of Jon Krause
September 17th—November 16th, 2013
Richard C. von Hess Illustration Gallery
The University of the Arts
Philadelphia, PA