Jon Leaver Jon Leaver, Assistant Professor of Art History, often envisions early nineteenth-century life, in which every day would be spent among the company of remarkable individuals, including his artistic obsession Manet, in a time of inconceivable change. “I always say that if I could have been born at any other time, I would have been a relatively wealthy person in the middle of nineteenth-century France, because it’s such a fascinating place, filled with fascinating people,” Leaver, a native of Barry, Wales, says with a foreign lilt. Leaver described his favorite Manet, a small portrait of the painter Berthe Morisot, as an image of inaccessible beauty and heartache. “It seems likely that Manet was in love with Morisot though he was married, she later married his brother Eugene,” Leaver says. “It’s a very sad and beautiful picture; she is dressed all in black and seems utterly unattainable.” Leaver had early dreams of a professional art career, but developed a passion for the historical aspect of the subject as a teenager. While his father, a scientist by training, pursued a second degree in art history, Leaver was introduced to the subject’s analytical components. He soon discovered an equal passion for the academic side of his obsession and hobby. “I had very nice friends with whom I'd play in the park, ride bikes and play football (soccer), but most of all I liked to be on my own and draw pictures and listen to the radio, and read books,” Leaver says of his childhood in the small port town. Leaver, who says he has a “taste for the weird” enjoys exploring the Museum of Jurassic Technology on Venice Blvd. in Los Angeles, though it has “nothing whatever to do with Technology nor the Jurassic.” “It features a collection of oddities and obscure ideas, which are designed to confuse and disorientate visitors. It’s small, labyrinthine, very beautiful and dark and very beguiling,” Leaver says. Artwork spanning several decades decorates his stark office walls, including several postcard sized Manet paintings. “We live in a visual world, surrounded by images and I think it’s vitally important to know how to deal with these images,” Leaver says. When not teaching students the history of art, Leaver continues to pursue creative endeavors, mainly finding inspiration in magazines, his own photography or “anything that has a quirky, attractive quality to it.” He loves working with his hands, whether drawing and painting or renovating his fixer-upper house in Topanga Canyon, an area he describes as a ’60s throwback alive with hippies and liberalism. Though the hour commute to La Verne can sometimes be trying, Topanga Canyon fits with his artistic nature, he says. Leaver and his wife of three years, Tyke, live in the thick of nature, among lofty pines and howling coyotes. Leaver says all art forms communicate hidden messages, and he revels in the mystery. “People love looking at pictures, they show us how the world can be differently conceived, how we can change it in a way,” Leaver says. “To paint a picture of this different vision of the world, this different re-ordering of the things we see around us, is incredibly compelling” Striving to instill passion and appreciation for art in students, Leaver enjoys decoding the artistic past and discovering the secrets behind every picture he encounters. A career in teaching was a natural next step for Leaver, who viewed the path as an outlet for mutual expression, knowledge and growth. After completing his doctoral work at the University of Bristol in England, where he met his wife who currently teaches at the high school level, Leaver said the logical thing to do was to share his passion and appreciation for art with future generations. “Throughout the history of art, pictures have always tried to manipulate us in some way,” Leaver says. “I think it’s a kind of language that describes something that doesn’t exist in words. That’s what a picture or sculpture is – a sort of reconfiguration of the world. “Analyzing is what I love about art history, trying to put that difference into words and trying to find a vocabulary to discuss that difference is fascinating,” he adds. “Trying to get students to appreciate this is what I love about teaching.” RETURN TO FACULTY LISTHome.htmlshapeimage_2_link_0