Artist’s Statement
While I would like to present you with a comprehensive view of my working concepts and strategies it is hardly possible given all the events that unfold in our lives. If you could but turn a page on your past, perhaps 10 or 15 years ago, it would seem invariably dated, not necessarily bad, but not what you are currently thinking about today. We are always being changed by new information, albeit slowly.
One of the most important constants in my work is “I am a finder.” I find and react to interesting things that happen along the way, that is to say, in the process of making art. Practically that means I try to extend those beginning stages so I can find any exciting accidental effect that might occur. I feel this is the major source of my creativity. It probably happens less so when working realistically, but even then you have several degrees of freedom. Lets see, you have composition, lighting, color, and mark making(gestural strokes) and so on.
Visualization is an especially important consideration for me. How does it look? The visual arts are above all perceptual, that is to say, they must look good, interesting, exciting if possible or have some visual appeal. As the work progresses it eventually takes on a look and in thi look is its special identity. Here it must have continuity, a coherent family of form while still providing possibility for contrast.
Finally I would say that art is magical. We are all amazed and delighted when magicians fool us. Art is much the same. Instead of props like playing cards and top hats, we have our own visual sleight of hand/eye to beguile the observer. And beyond that there is the inexplicable, those works that one can talk about but defy any reasonable cause and effect description. They are able to express our human condition in truly exceptional ways. My advice? Just keep looking with a hungry eye. You will be rewarded.
John Ekstrom
Artist’s Statement
While I would like to present you with a comprehensive view of my working concepts and strategies it is hardly possible given all the events that unfold in our lives. If you could but turn a page on your past, perhaps 10 or 15 years ago, it would seem invariably dated, not necessarily bad, but not what you are currently thinking about today. We are always being changed by new information, albeit slowly.
One of the most important constants in my work is “I am a finder.” I find and react to interesting things that happen along the way, that is to say, in the process of making art. Practically that means I try to extend those beginning stages so I can find any exciting accidental effect that might occur. I feel this is the major source of my creativity. It probably happens less so when working realistically, but even then you have several degrees of freedom. Lets see, you have composition, lighting, color, and mark making(gestural strokes) and so on.
Visualization is an especially important consideration for me. How does it look? The visual arts are above all perceptual, that is to say, they must look good, interesting, exciting if possible or have some visual appeal. As the work progresses it eventually takes on a look and in thi look is its special identity. Here it must have continuity, a coherent family of form while still providing possibility for contrast.
Finally I would say that art is magical. We are all amazed and delighted when magicians fool us. Art is much the same. Instead of props like playing cards and top hats, we have our own visual sleight of hand/eye to beguile the observer. And beyond that there is the inexplicable, those works that one can talk about but defy any reasonable cause and effect description. They are able to express our human condition in truly exceptional ways. My advice? Just keep looking with a hungry eye. You will be rewarded.
John Ekstrom