BIOGRAPHY:
John was born in New York City, but has lived in Southern California most of his life. He and his wife, Deborah, now live in Camarillo, California. Their son and his family also live in Camarillo. John has worked in wood for 50 years, and has produced furniture, 3D wood sculpture and other works, but finds his present work to be most satisfying.John is an artist member of the Buenaventura Art Association in Ventura, CA, the Studio Channel Islands Art Center in Camarillo, CA, and a juried member of the Thousand Oaks Art Association.
John had a long career in city planning in Los Angeles and is a co-owner/principal of a private consulting firm in the same field.
ARTIST STATEMENT I have been drawn my entire life to language and creation in wood, which much of my work combines. A fusion of images, words and wood. In it, I explore themes which deeply resonate for me, of mystery and wonder, nature, and ephemerality and change. My work as a whole is intended to convey a sense of peace.Most of my work in the last 20 years has been pieces I call textured tablets, which are incised wall art made from hard maple wood, using a pointille method (engraved small dots). They are incised with words, figurative beings and/or decorative elements, intended to convey the themes which I attempt to express.
The pieces with words are intended as glimpses out of the corner of the eye – fragments of perceptions on fragments of wood.
But you will also see bas-relief pieces, which I am doing more of, and some in the round, and some woods other than maple.
During 50 years of working in wood in various genres, I’ve evolved these pieces, both content and medium, and the work continues to evolve. I especially find textured tablets very satisfying to create and to share, though at heart they’re messages to myself.
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