'Ether is one of a sequence of abstract paintings I began during the Covid lockdown. The title refers to "the ether" - a word that evokes space, energy, and something ethereal or intangible. These works came about as a direct response to that period of isolation, and as a result, they are probably some of the most introspective pieces I've made.'
Jonathan Pike is a British painter whose long and successful career has moved from finely detailed representational work into bold, abstract compositions. Trained at the Central School of Art and Design and Falmouth School of Art between 1967 and 1971, he has worked in both watercolour and oil over five decades, developing a distinctive voice known for precision, structure, and atmosphere.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Pike's work has entered a new and compelling phase. In response to the isolation and upheaval of lockdown, he began exploring abstraction-moving away from external architecture and toward internal structure.
His most recent oil paintings use geometry, colour and balance to create visual harmonies that suggest space, tension, rhythm, and mood. The compositions are rooted in intuition and form, often recalling early modernist abstraction, yet maintaining his signature clarity and architectural sense.