We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful John Randall Nelson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with John Randall below.
John Randall, so many exciting things to discuss, we can’t wait. Thanks for joining us and we appreciate you sharing your wisdom with our readers. So, maybe we can start by discussing optimism and where your optimism comes from?
My optimism stems from my passion for making things.
I draw my inspiration from both the strangeness of the world and the resilience of the human spirit.
Despite the many difficulties we face, there is always some possibility to be found,
and my art reflects a belief in our inherent goodness.
My artwork has been described as Folk, Pop, and Outsider. Maybe it’s a bit of all of those. But what I’m looking to perfect is combination of playful and poignant, goodness and strangeness.
In my Sculptures and my Paintings I try to mishmash societal anecdotes with cultural symbols. I like to think that I’m creating a narrative that’s both introspective and optimistic.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
What I love doing is making art. I’ve been able to cobble together a life of art-making.
My most recent paintings exhibition at Gebert Contemporary was titled “When Willie Went West”.
Weaving together an assortment of Old West memes and tropes, the subjects of the paintings are associative and emblematic. Collectively they present my fractured recollection of TV Westerns and cowboy tall tales, exploring the role of the subconscious self against the backdrop of cowboy folklore. Researching the Old West took me right to mythology, because the West is such a mythologized place. Many of those myths are foundational to how we think of themselves.
My most recent Public Art project was titled “Squash Blossom”. A 16-foot-tall sculpture depicting the geologic shapes of the desert, Squash Blossom is an urban cairn of stacked geometric stones, with a yellow flower and bird sprouting from the top, It’s inspired by the flower of the same name, it’s shape reflects the geometry of the stone cairn upon which it sits. Spiritually, cairns represent optimism. This Squash Blossom sculpture marks the beginning of an urban trailhead.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Looking back there are three qualities that animate me. First, you have to have fun. Second, you have to put your labour where your love is. Third, you have to go in the opposite direction of everyone else. My advice for Artists when you’re just starting: Don’t let anybody dictate your sensibilities. Realize that there will always be someone criticizing, so don’t let them in. Also be resilient and don’t be afraid to be the fool, it goes with the job description.
Looking back, I think I did know most of that, at least intuitively. When you grow up in a small town, the first shot out of the box is not, “hey, I think I’ll be a sculptor!”
Looking back, I wasn’t really looking for art. It was more like art came looking for me. Sometimes you just have to let the road take you to wherever it happens to be going.
Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
My most important book was Tom Robbin’s “Still life With Woodpecker”.
“We are our own dragons as well as our own heroes, and we have to rescue ourselves from ourselves.”
Contact Info:
- Website: whonelson.com
- Instagram: @johnrandallnelson
