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About me

Jonathan Michael Castillo

Photographer, Visual Artist & Educator

About

Jonathan is an editorial photographer based in Los Angeles. His personal projects often focus on groups of people, cultural behavior, societal issues and occasionally puppets....

Additionally, he can shoot an apple off your head with an arrow from 90 meters, play a rendition of In the Mood on the Tenor Saxophone that would have made Glenn Miller proud, is a retired semi-pro paintball player, once performed in a musical version of Ghostbusters on roller skates and he has pictures to prove it.

Jonathan Castillo portrait

Photo by Maria Nikolis

Curriculum Vitae

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Education

• 2019 MFA Photography, Columbia College Chicago, Chicago, IL
• 2013 BFA Photography w/Minor in Anthropology, CSULB, Long Beach, CA (Cum Laude)
• 2009 AS Photography, Moorpark College, CA
• 2009 AS Photojournalism, Moorpark College, CA
• 2007 AA General Liberal Arts & Science, Moorpark College, CA

Guest Lectures

2015
•LBCC “Art 80: Elements of Photography” Professor Nicole Sloan, Long Beach, CA (Class Lecture)
•CSUF “Art 439: Advanced Photography Projects” Professor Gina Osterlogh, Fullerton, CA (Class Lecture & Demo)
•Santa Ana College “Photo 292: Portraiture” Professor Gina Osterlogh, Santa Ana, CA (Class Lecture)
•Moorpark College “Photo M20: Intermediate Photography” Professor John Grzywacz, Moorpark, CA (Class Lecture & Demo)

2014
•LBCC “Art 81: Introduction to Fine Art Photography” Professor Nicole Sloan, Long Beach, CA (Class Lecture & Demo)
•CSULB “Digital Imagery for the Arts” Professor Kyle Riedel, Long Beach, CA (Class Lecture & Demo)
•CSUF “Art 439: Advanced Creative Photography” Professor Gina Osterlogh, Fullerton, CA (Class Lecture & Demo)

2013
•Moorpark College “Beginning Photography” Professor Becky Brister Moorpark, CA (Class Lecture)
•ASMP LA “10X10X10” Mack Sennett Studios, Los Angeles, CA (Featured Speaker)
•CSULB “Art 447: Photography Studio Specialties” Professor Gina Osterlogh, Long Beach, CA (Class Lecture & Demo)

2012
•CSULB “Art 447: Photography Studio Specialties” Professor Todd Gray, Long Beach, CA (Class Lecture & Demo)

Exhibitions

Solo Exhibitions
2020
• “Car Culture” California Museum of Art Thousand Oaks, Thousand Oaks, CA
• “Chunking Mansions: A World Unto Itself” One River School – Chicago, IL
• “Immigrant Owned” SRO Gallery – Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX

2019
• “Chunking Mansions: A World Unto Itself” Arcade Gallery – Columbia College Chicago, Chicago, IL

2012
•"Car Culture" Dennis W. Dutzi Gallery, Long Beach, CA

Select Group Exhibitions
2020
• “Groundfloor Biennial” Hyde Park Art Center – Chicago, IL (Upcoming Dec)
• "Pivot" Ralph Arnold Gallery - Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL
• “8th Annual International Combined Caucus Exhibition” BOX 13 Artspace – Houston, TX
• “Car Culture” Samuel Maenhoudt Gallery – Photo LA, Los Angeles, CA
• “CAA Annual Conference” Columbia College Chicago – Chicago, IL

2019
• “The Qualities of LIGHT”, Center for Creative Photography, Tucson, AZ
• “Albert P. Weisman Exhibition”, Arcade Gallery - Columbia College Chicago, Chicago, IL
• “House of Lucie Fall Group Show”, House of Lucie, Los Angeles, CA
• “MFA Thesis Exhibition”, The Hokin Gallery - Columbia College Chicago, Chicago, IL
•“Context 2019”, Filter Photo Gallery, Chicago, IL

2017
•“From Here to There” University of Central Florida, Daytona Beach, FL

2015
• ”On the Street Where You Live” Photo Place Gallery, Middlebury, VT

2013
•”Car Culture” Photo Place Gallery, Middlebury, VT
•”The Democratic & Magical Brain” Moorpark College Art Gallery, Moorpark, CA
•"The Artist and Society" Moorpark College Art Gallery, Moorpark, CA
•"CSULB Photography Senior BFA Show" Max L. Gatov Gallery, Long Beach, CA

2012
•"Punctum" Max L. Gatov Gallery, Long Beach, CA
•"Meta Muerto" 4th Street Vine, Long Beach, CA
•"Exposure: The Development of New Artists", Max L. Gatov Gallery, Long Beach, CA
•"Insights 2012: CSULB Annual Student Art Exhibition", University Art Museum at CSULB, Long Beach, CA

2011
•"Photo Camp: The Culture of Now", Aperture Gallery, New York, NY
•"CSULB Department of Art Annual Foundation Exhibition" Gatov, Merlino, Werby & Dutzi Galleries, Long Beach, CA
•"Insights 2011: CSULB Annual Student Art Exhibition", University Art Museum at CSULB, Long Beach, CA

2010
•"Photography Alumni and Student Exhibition: Students of John Gray 1975-2010", Moorpark College, Moorpark, CA
•"Benefit of the John Gray Photography Scholarship", Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center, Simi Valley, CA

Features/Interviews/Reviews

2015
•Dan Damon, “BBC World Update: The man who ambushes LA drivers with his camera (Video)" or “BBC World Update Full Interview (Radio)" (Sep 24th, 2015)
•Deborah Meron, “CBS Los Angeles: Drive-By Shooting: Photog Catches Candid Portraits Of Angelenos In Their Cars" (Jul 12th, 2015)
•Mark Go, “Resource Magazine: Immersing in Jonathan Castillo's 'Car Culture' series" (July 9th, 2015)
•Tess Vigeland, “Take Two KPCC 89.3 FM: Unsuspecting LA drivers photographed for 'Car Culture' series" (July 8th, 2015)
•Warren Olney, “Which Way, LA? KCRW 89.9 FM: Capturing Car Culture Candidly in LA" (June 17th, 2015)
•Jakob Schiller, “Wired: Ambush Portraits Capture LA Drivers in Their Beloved Cars" (June 16th, 2015)

2014
•Jonathan Castillo, “Petapixel: A Portrait Journey Through Eastern Europe" (May 2nd, 2014)
•Dan Winters, “Road to Seeing" (Jan 17th, 2014)

2013
•Guillherme Tosetto, “G1 Globo: Fotógrafo 'flagra' pessoas dentro de carros parados no trânsito nos EUA" (April 22nd, 2013) (Portuguese)
•Pocket Wizard Blog, (January 28th, 2013) (Transcript available upon request)

2012
•Marcel Everts, “PforPhoto: A Culture of Sitting and Waiting" (October 31st, 2012)
•Sergei Samsonov, “Journal F: Руль, свет и лица" (October 2012, Pgs 24-37) (Russian) (Translation available upon request)
•Michael Zhang, “Petapixel: Portraits of Strangers in Cars Illuminated by Off-Camera Lighting" (October 28th, 2012)
•Angela Ratzclaff, “Daily 49er (Vol. LIX, Issue 463): Artist shows ‘Domestic’ photographs" (Feb 28th, 2012)

2011
•CEPICO Photoclub, “Jon Castillo: CSULB BFA Photo" (November 6th, 2011)
•Emerging Photographer Magazine (Issue Fall 2011)

Editorial/Commercial Publication

2016
• Irene Sam, Grace Yu & Katie Liao “Macau Inc: Tastes & Wonders (Pgs 8 & 46-49); Handmade Fervor (Pgs 72-77); Angels in White: Hospital Nurses (Pg 81)" (May Issue)
• Katie Liao, “Macau Inc: Benefits of Tuina Massage (Pg 90)" (April Issue)
• Matt Leone, “Polygon: The Making of Playstation VR" (March 9th, 2016) (Press Conference Images)
• Matt Leone, “Polygon: Keiji Inafune looks back on five years of Comcept" (February 1st, 2016)

2015
• Megan Farokhmanesh, “Polygon: Starcraft: The Past, Present and Future" (November 6th, 2015)
• Samit Sarkar, “Polygon: The E3 2015 Show Floor, In Photos" (June 22nd, 2015)

2014
• Tracey Lien, “Polygon: The Fall of THQ" (December 9th, 2014)
• Digital Camera Magazine, (July Issue Pg 22)

2013
• Josh Esqueda & Amy Patton, “Dig: Drop Goods (Cover and Pgs 3,8,9)" (April Issue)
• Nayeli Carrillo & Lyzette Salway, “Dig: Women's History Month (Cover)" (March Issue)

2011
•Aperture Magazine (Issue 204: Fall 2011)

2010
•Jeff Keedy, “Department of Cultural Affairs Los Angeles: COLA 2010 Individual Artist Fellowships Catalog" (June 16th, 2015)
• Voicebox Magazine (Spring Issue) (9 photos/photo illustrations)

Awards & Honors

2020
• 2020-2021 Chicago Public Art Prequalified List, Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events, Chicago, IL

2019
• 2019-2021 Diane Dammeyer Fellowship in Photographic Arts and Social Issues, Chicago, IL

2018
• WMA Commission Finalist, Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R., China
• Albert P. Weisman Award, Columbia College Chicago, Chicago, IL
• Haystack Mountain School of Crafts Fellowship, Columbia College Chicago, Chicago, IL
• John Mulvany and Bob Thall Scholarship in Photography, Columbia College Chicago, Chicago, IL
• Stuart Abelson Graduate Research Fellowship, Columbia College Chicago, Chicago, IL
• Lya Dym Rosenblum Award (For Professional Development), Columbia College Chicago, Chicago, IL

2017
• Graduate Assistantship, Columbia College Chicago, Chicago, IL
• Lya Dym Rosenblum Award (For Professional Development), Columbia College Chicago, Chicago, IL

2012
• President's List, CSULB, Long Beach CA (Spring)
• President's List, CSULB, Long Beach CA (Fall)

2011
• Fine Arts Affiliates Scholarship in the Arts, CSULB, Long Beach, CA
• President's List, CSULB, Long Beach CA (Spring)
• President's List, CSULB, Long Beach CA (Fall)

2010
• MAC-On-Campus.com: Featured Student of the Month (Oct)

2009
• Jim Sebek Memorial Scholarship, Moorpark College, Moorpark, CA
• Associated Students Scholarship, Moorpark College, Moorpark, CA
• Frank Sardisco Memorial Scholarship, Moorpark College, Moorpark, CA
• Osher Scholarship, Moorpark College, Moorpark, CA

2008
• Jim Sebek Memorial Scholarship, Moorpark College, Moorpark, CA

In case you didn't believe me

My childhood of roller figure skating, archery, and paintball.