John Williams
williams-studio.com
John Williams is a studio artist and
educator living in Philadelphia, PA. He
received his BA in Leadership Studies
from the University of Richmond, and
a MFA from Bowling Green State University. He has been a resident artist at
Studio Art Centers International in Florence, The Cub Creek Foundation for the
Ceramic Arts in Virginia, Cité des Arts
International in Paris, and currently is a
resident artist at The Clay Studio in Philadelphia. He has held
teaching positions at SUNY New Paltz in New York, Longwood
University in Virginia, and Rowan University in New Jersey. In
2009 Williams was awarded an Independence Fellowship to
pursue innovative applications of CAD and CAM technologies
to the ceramic arts. He was honored with an Emerging Artist
Award by NCECA in 2009.
Artist’s Statement
Maps are catalysts. They enable us to forecast ourselves into
the future, remember the past, or signify particular cultural
traditions. As a representation, maps offer a specific point of
view. Often we note the grand traditions in our culture but ignore
those that play a role in our daily lives. As a continual tourist,
I observe these experiences as fundamental to our collective
understanding. Documenting events, spaces, or relationships
helps us understand who we are and how we fit in.
Commodities are those natural resources and products that
we assign relative values. Energy has been a major focus in
light of global warming, dwindling resources, and environmental
disasters. Combining precious metals and ceramics, this series
focuses on issues of land use and consumption. Specific
material choices illustrate cultural traditions in America.
The endless interpretation and abstraction of natural
surroundings and cultural traditions constitutes my interest in
art and mapping. - John Williams
16
Commodities Series: Nuclear Towers, 2009
12x15x3””
Ceramic, 14K Gold-Plated Silver
IMAGES
clockwise, from top left
Commodities Series:
Oil Well, 2009
12x15x3’’
Ceramic, 14K Gold-Plated Silver
Commodities Series:
Solar Panel, 2009
12x15x3’’
Ceramic, 14K Gold-Plated Silver
Commodities Series:
Oil Well, 2009 (detail)
Commodities Series:
Solar Panel, 2009 (detail)