Checkerboard Tornados

I started with an image in my head of a checkerboard tornado and worked from there! The figures in silhouette are of relatives. The faces are split to imply movement and blurred vision.

 

       

Where's the Party?

Latest work entitled, "Where's the Party?" for a show at Visual AIDS in NYC. The show is called, "Postcards from the Edge." The piece is 4 x 6 inches, media: acrylic, india ink and diamond dust.

Portrait play

I have spent the last two years playing with portraits. Not traditional portraits, but those times when you are caught in a "silly moment.' Captured and fixed in time that you cannot take it back. The contexts are changed, re-arranged and created.  Here are some examples of this exploration…

Duel at Chadron State College - Chadron Nebraska!

In November 2014 we had an amazing exhibition at Chadron State College. We exhibited most of the Duel series by Kristen Woodward and myself. I created some smaller works just for the exhibition to enhance the overall show.

DUEL - Body of work for two-person exhibition

An anonymous aggressor, the black silhouette having no identity, it is empty and valueless. This is why they are easy to destroy and so open to accept violence.  How can I add value and preciousness to these figurative forms? And how do I break from the tradition to create something different? I wanted these nameless bodies to have an identity. It was important to undermine the original intentions of the gun target.

The addition of a human, identifiable face was important to develop a relationship with an audience; to close the distance between the dark and the light. These playful portraits are funny and silly, awkward moments captured on the faces of my family. They are carnival like, as if you are playing a game at the midway. Some of the shooters are more successful than others at this game. There was also a personal struggle in utilizing individuals close to me. Do I allow others or even myself to shoot at these targets?

The portraits are bright, garish in color with corresponding gun(s) to create visual cohesion throughout the target picture plane. The “gunshot” leaves a mark/geometry on the surface, which is incorporated into the image. Sometimes these marks are random, as if from a novice shooter. In other cases, they are pattern like and clearly shot from a marksman.

The “duel” occurs visually between the gun targets of John Adkins and Kristen Woodward; because of their differences – abstraction versus definition; graphical versus painterly and anonymous versus named. They challenge the audience conceptually inside the artworks and externally due to their relationship with recent gun related tragedies (plural). You cannot leave without being influenced and marked by the experience.

Alicia Target 

Mixed media on paper

15" x 21"

Jacqueline Smile Target 

Mixed media on paper

15" x 21"

John Smirk Target 

Mixed media on paper

15" x 25"

Luly Chewing Target 

Mixed media on paper

15" x 25"

Mary Target 

Mixed media on paper

15" x 21"

Piedad Target 

Mixed media on paper

15" x 25"

Samantha Target 

Mixed media on paper

15" x 23"

Shale Target 

Mixed media on paper

15" x 21"

Dominos Up-cycle Project Statement

The creative process for these pieces was a unique experience for me. I have always worked with found objects and recycled materials, but never on such a grand scale. My goal was to use as little external materials as possible and concentrate on transforming the up-cycled materials provided by Dominos. I was given the following: pizza boxes, stickers, work shirts and wrappers for sandwiches. 

It was important to create imagery that followed my interests and was consistent with my aesthetics as an artist. This meant transforming commercial materials into my creative obsessions: butterflies, caterpillars, icons, reliquaries and the human figure. It was also important to connect these obsessions with the essence of the product and materials. I didn’t want the transformation to be so complete that the character of the Dominos items and brand were lost. This was achieved by retaining the original shape of the boxes in some of the series. The “circle” was a common thread/theme in the works. The circular image is symbolic and relatable on several levels: pizza form, Dominos logo, pepperoni (my favorite topping!). The circle is also symbolic in a bigger way, a never-ending line and infinite possibilities.

The colors, shapes, symbols and format create an overall decorative feeling. The gold and arch shape is meant to symbolize preciousness and importance. I used contrasting, bright colors in combination with the gold and black to create interest and heighten the visual experience. The works look great in shadow box format, a standard frame or on a plain pedestal.  This allows the artwork to take center stage!

Check it out...www.johnadkinsdominos.blogspot.com or the first link on the right, under "Dominos Upcycle Project."

Funny Face Icons

Coming soon to the ARTPRIZE exhibition in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The art event takes place in September. Here are some of the works going to the show!!!

If you are interested in purchasing any of the works on my blog, please contact me via email.

Thanks! John