Author: johnfansmith

ORANGE ROSE WITH SOCIAL CLIMBERS

(C) JOHN FANSMITH 2020

 

In most of my prints the ink is applied in layers using only a brayer. ORANGE ROSE WITH SOCIAL CLIMBERS is an experimental small step outside my comfort zone with the ink being applied using a brayer for the background and a palette knife for the detail. While I had a vague idea of doing something “floral”, I have no idea where the title came from, or why I chose an orange/black/purple palette, so I’m just going  to say that they speak for themselves and leave it at that. ($474) (2020) (20 “ x 8 “)

Staying Home

(C) JOHN FANSMITH 2020

STAYING HOME is a collage made out of hand inked, hand pulled collographic prints that were originally intended to be part of my LINEAR THOUGHTS OF AN ARTIST and NAVIGATING THE ROUNDABOUTS series. I came across them as I was simultaneously getting ready to move to Ann’s Choice and diligently observing the covid-19 “stay at home” order.  STAYING HOME is thus both a commentary on existing conditions (including the chaos in my studio) and the result of one of the many “keep/discard/utilize” decisions that I’m having to make every day. Creating it was also one of my self-reward for making a couple of them. (2020) (18“ x 20“)

Kirkland

(C) JOHN FANSMITH 2020

It is sometimes surprising how you and your work can be overtaken by events. When I was printing the background and assembling the collage pieces for KIRKLAND the corona virus problem was just starting to be a story and I had no idea that Kirkland, WA would be one of the epicenters. The title for KIRKLAND actually comes from the fact that “Kirkland” is the house brand name used by Costco and the collage pieces are repurposed from a Costco tissue box. What was initially an exercise in combining a hand inked, hand pulled print and found object/recycled materials ended up with more relevance than I could have imagined. (622) (2020) (16” x 20”)

SELF-PORTRAIT # 6

(c) JOHN FANSMITH 2020

SELF-PORTRAIT #6 is a wall sculpture consisting of 20 hand sculpted and hand glazed paper clay tiles which were then fired to cone 04 and mounted on an MDF backer using Thinset. Like all of the other pieces in the IRIAAM (It Really Is All About Me) Series – with the exception of the photographs – there are large measures of both artistic license and artistic ineptitude involved in SELF-PORTRAIT #6. It does illustrate why I don’t consider myself to be a painter and thus may be , by some measure, considered to be an accurate, if not particularly flattering self-portrait. I could have subtitled it PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A PAINTER. It was, however, fun to make. ($669) (2020) (15 ½” x 19″)

Motherboard

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MOTHERBOARD is a mixed media, found object, wall sculpture which incorporates the motherboard from a refrigerator, ceramic tiles left over from two backsplash projects, and three press molded and distorted images made from handmade and raku fired paper clay. An exercise in anthropomorphism, it is intended to put a face on and give personality to something that has neither. (2020) (19” x 8” x 1 ½”) (($195)

MOTHERBOARD and EVOLUTION in Manayunk Roxsborough Art Center’s 64th Annual Members’ Exhibition

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I am pleased to announce that two of my wall sculptures: MOTHERBOARD and INCUBATION will be part of the Manayunk Roxsborough Art Center’s 64th Annual Members’ Exhibition. They may be seen at the Manayunk Roxborough Art Center, 419 Green Lane, Philadelphia, PA 19128 from March 3, 2020 through March 30, 2020 and then at the Roxborough Development Corporation, 6128 Ridge Avenue, Philadelphia PA 19128 until April 27, 2020.

STAGE FOUR/ METASTATIC

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I am pleased to announce that my monotype  STAGE FOUR/ METASTATIC will be on view from February 28, 2020 until April 11, 2020 at the Abington Art Center as part of the American Color Print Society’s Members Spring Exhibition. There will be an opening reception from 2 until 4 on Saturday, February 29th at the Abington Art Center, 515 Meetinghouse Road, Jenkintown, PA 19046

About 3 ½ years ago I was diagnosed with Stage Four, or metastatic prostate cancer. While there is no cure or any prospect of one, there are medications (side effects included) which may slow the progression of the cancer for a while. I would like to believe that, on a personal level, I have done, and am doing, everything possible to deal with it in a thoughtful, rational manner: a will has been drawn, powers of attorney executed and a place in a continuing care retirement home secured, and that I am making the best use of my time. Until STAGE FOUR/ METASTATIC, however, I had not addressed it as an artist. STAGE FOUR/ METASTATIC is a hard plate monotype which, with its red-orange/black palette is probably a more accurate emotional representation than a medical or scientific one. Since I have no idea what a lesion actually looks like, nor any particular desire to learn, I am going to rely on emotion, abstraction, and artistic license. Matted and Framed to 14” x 24”.

THE ART OF HOPE

(C) JOHN FANSMITH 2017

I am very pleased to announce that juror John Sabraw has selected my hand built, raku fired paper clay sculpture AN OLD MAN’S PRAYER to be part of Mississippi State University’s national juried exhibition “The Art of Hope”. The exhibition will run from January 20, 2020 until March 27, 2020 at the Cullis Wade Depot Art Gallery, 75 B.S. Hood Road, Mississippi State University, MS 39762. There will be a reception on Friday, January 31, 2020. AN OLD MAN’S PRAYER is part of my “Expressive Hands” Series of small, hand built, raku fired paper clay sculptures from 2017 and 2018. In AN OLD MAN’S PRAYER the fingers are bent with time and wear. Expectations have been colored by the disappointments and trials of life but there is hope – perhaps this time.

PORTRAIT OF GAIA 2018 in BRAND 47 NATIONAL JURIED EXHIBITION OF WORKS ON PAPER

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I am quite pleased to announce that juror Alma Ruiz included my Joomchi wall hanging PORTRAIT OF GAIA: 2018 in the Brand Library and Art Center’s 47th Annual Juried Exhibition of Works on Paper. The Brand Library and Art Center is located 1601 W. Mountain Road in Glendale, California 91201, and the Exhibition ran from September 7, 2019 through October 25, 2019 with an opening reception on September 7, 2019. Out of the 1069 pieces submitted from across the country by nine hundred and seventy-six artists, only 89 pieces, including PORTRAIT OF GAIA: 2018, were chosen for the Exhibition.