Made out of paint

march 31 - april 30, 2011
coolspace @ artspace

EXHIBITING ARTIST:
john c wagoner

statement from the artist

  I deny my artwork as sculptures but define them as three-dimensional paintings, as these objects are entirely made out of the medium of paint. I challenge the notion of what painting is and where it could end.

         In the Treatise in Painting, Da Vinci wrote about which art was the most superior: sculpture or painting? He discussed which medium trumped the other and declared painting the victor. However, with technology over the decades people have claimed that ‘painting is dead’ and we start to see this debate again, which is the most superior? 

         Within my work we see that painting has revived itself to evolve/adapt to our time and has begun to take over different mediums along with providing a social commentary. The idea of paint evolving or adapting can be seen as a ‘takeover’ on various media to survive in a world where fine art seems to be fleeting.

Artist bio

John C. Wagoner is an Assistant Professor of Art at Bossier Parish Community College in Bossier City, LA.  He received his Master of Fine Arts in Painting from Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids, MI and his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, IA. 

          He has over seven years of teaching experience at the college level in foundations (2-D design, 3-D design, and color theory), art history, painting, drawing, ceramics, and sculpture. He was selected and awarded as a 40 Under 40 Honoree by the Young Professionals Initiative in 2015. He was also awarded the “Excellence Award in Teaching” from the National Institute of Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) in 2014. Before teaching, Wagoner was a professional mount maker at Sanders Museum Services for four years. He has installed various artifacts and artworks in museums nationwide. 

          Wagoner creates three-dimensional paintings or sometimes referred to as “paint sculptures.” He provides a commentary on the idea of painting not yet being dead and that this medium still has some tricks up its sleeve. Overall when asked about his artwork and what it means, he asks, “What defines a painting?” Take a closer look and you’ll see that the object is entirely made out of acrylic paint. 

          The art theory and philosophical writings of Aristotle, Plato, Jacques Derrida, Jean Baudrillard, and specifically, Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘Treatise on Painting’ have been major influences in his work. The works of Marcel Duchamp, Joseph Kosuth, César Baldaccini, Jasper Johns, Jeff Koons, and Claes Oldenberg have also been instrumental in the development of his style. He has exhibited his works online and nationwide in New York, North Carolina, Michigan, Iowa, Louisiana and overseas in Florence, Italy.