Clarksville, TN – The world, in its vast entirety, can easily be broken down into a series of small objects. Each tiny piece plays an important part in the whole, and it is those relationships that fascinate the artist John W. Ford.
“I am interested in the power of small objects, and collections of small objects, to catalyze interpretation and speculative meaning,” he said. “As an archaeologist examines a pot shard to gain insight into the individuals or groups who created the original pot, or as the paleontologist studies a fossil to comprehend ancient life in its context, my interest is to examine and present small objects for their potential to evoke aesthetic, intellectual, and/or emotional responses in the viewer.”
A new exhibition at Austin Peay State University’s Trahern Gallery, “John W. Ford: House Not a Home,” will present the artist’s unique and fascinating obsession with the smaller pieces of our world. The show opens with a reception at 8:00pm on February 21st in the gallery and it runs through March 16th. Ford, an artist whose works include sculptural installations, low-relief assemblages and prints that deal with specific places, will also deliver a lecture at 7:00pm on February 21st in Trahern 401.
The works in this exhibit were partly supported by several granting agencies, including The Arts and Science Council, The North Carolina Arts Council, The Pollock-Krasner Foundation Inc. and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s College of Arts and Architecture.
Ford’s artworks have been featured in at least 43 solo and 63 group exhibitions in Canada, the U.S. and throughout Europe. He received his M.F.A. in studio art from the Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. He is an assistant professor of art at UNC Charlotte.
His new exhibit coming to APSU focuses attention on small objects, which he hopes will “encourage thoughtful examination, a counter-balance in a world of sensationalized visual media.”
“I would like the viewer to develop a heightened sensitivity to detail as it relates to the whole, and to exercise informed and balanced judgment in terms of visual literacy,” he said.
For more information on the upcoming exhibit, contact the APSU Department of Art at 931-221-7333.
