Why I make Art

My grandfather's store was great visual stimulation for me as a child. I believe it guides my skills in seeing today. He was blind and couldn't place products in their proper visual place. His placement was based more on touch and memory. I can visualize those elements today and they influence how I organize with my spaces. I have a picture in my mind and I have an intense drive to complete the structure. The most interesting and appealing are those images that seem incomplete. These thoughts allow for the most growth and expansion. I also search out opportunities to create works with separation: inside vs. outside and exterior vs. interior. These provide situations to be complex, but do not force me to resolve how these different aspects and contexts can work together. 

The materials I use vary, but tend to be placed in and on wood structures for stability and flexibility. They can be roughed up, aged, painted and manipulated. I often hammer elements into the surface or hollow out and build up the areas, requiring backing. Acrylic paint is used primarily because of its flat and plastic appearance. It is also quick drying and immediate, providing additional flexibility to go back in and use oil medium or collage on top. It is important that the viewer is intensely involved with my work. I work to create a more intimate space, where scale becomes very important. My intentions are to draw the viewer in and hold their interest through a series of decorative elements, formal relationships and conceptual musings. 

Because of the functional elements, moving and interactive parts, it forces me to carefully strategize about how components fit together. I often build and breakdown pieces several times to make it function properly.  My goal is to have works with longevity. When taken out of its current historical context it will change in meaning. So, it is an imperative that they have a long life. My hope is that they will improve and change with age, alluding to ideas in the future. My vision is long and strategic. I often see trends years in advance and the works become a document of my intuitive process. 

They are often referred to as eye candy, because of its heavy decorative qualities. There is always more to discover, relationships yet to be made, and thoughts to be revealed. My work has been loved by many people; individuals with different background and experiences. I believe what ties them together is an appreciation for the complex and a desire to be challenged intellectually, emotionally and spiritually. 

John Adkins, artist, illustrator, author and educator