CV + Contact

BIOGRAPHY

BORN 1987 IN BELFAST, U.K. BASED IN LOS ANGELES AND NEW YORK CITY.

Jonathan David Smyth, also known as Julian Scott, is a multidisciplinary artist based in New York City and Los Angeles. His work spans photography, performance, moving image, sculpture, text, and installation, exploring themes of identity, belonging, family, and time. Smyth holds an MFA from Parsons School of Design (2014) and a BA (Hons) from Edinburgh Napier University (2010).

Smyth’s work has been exhibited internationally at museums, galleries, and venues, including the FotoFest Biennial (Houston, TX, 2022), Jimei x Arles International Photo Festival (Xiamen, China, 2018), and the Ulster Museum (Belfast, U.K., 2019). His first solo exhibition, AROUND THE HOUSE AND IN THE GARDEN, debuted at the Tom of Finland Foundation during his 2023 residency. He also collaborated with Ernesto Pujol on public performances for Lower Manhattan Cultural Council's RIVER TO RIVER FESTIVAL (New York, NY, 2019).

Smyth has published two monographs: JUST ONE MORE (2017), a series of self-portraits in reflective urban spaces, and NOW THAT YOU’VE GONE AND COME BACK (2023), which pairs nude self-portraits with handwritten plates and poetry. His work is in the collections of Baxter St. at The Camera Club of New York, the International Center of Photography (ICP), and the New York Public Library.

His work has appeared on BBC Radio Ulster’s THE ARTS SHOW and in SEEING BEING SEEN: A PERSONAL HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY (2022) by Michelle Dunn Marsh and MIRROR MIRROR: THE REFLECTIVE SURFACE IN CONTEMPORARY ART (2024) by Michael Petry. Smyth has lectured at ICP, Parsons, and the School of Visual Arts.

He can be reached at: info@jonathandavidsmyth.com

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ARTIST STATEMENT

I’VE SPENT YEARS OBSESSIVELY WRITING, RECORDING, AND DOCUMENTING MY LIFE.

As an adopted child in Northern Ireland, raised in a foster family with mixed-race siblings, I was always aware of the differences between my family and my friends at school. For years, I was told to keep my adoption a secret, which created isolation and resentment. I came out as gay at fourteen, faced emotional struggles by fifteen, and left home at sixteen, seeking freedom and understanding. Photography became my way of expressing these emotions.

I’ve spent years obsessively writing, recording, and documenting my life, using lens-based media, performance, and installation to confront and reframe the personal narratives that shaped my identity. These mediums allow me to explore belonging, displacement, and temporal experience. What was once a burden has become a driving force in my work, shaping both my personal journey and broader cultural conversations.

My artwork is grounded in the belief that personal stories connect us to larger cultural contexts. I create space for others to see themselves in the narratives I share, not as passive observers but as active participants in a dialogue about identity and belonging. My work is both a response to my experiences and an invitation to engage with the complexities that shape us all.

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