John Williams MRSS

I am intrigued by the idea that we have a sense of self; a self based upon memories of the experiences of life. Simultaneously and distinct from that, a self that is able to observe thoughts from a separate objective perspective. Philosophically perception of pasts and futures exist cerebrally which is at odds with the experience of a reality that dwells only in the present moment.

My intention is to create work that is a series of visual meditations. These take the form of mute fragments of the physical body that activate the viewer to complete the image. Strict classical Greek depiction of the ideal figure together with visual references to fossils, are competing aesthetics which fascinate me. I interpret fossils as ancient statements or documents of a then present moment, frozen in time; perfect geometric forms emerging from amorphous rock, rich in metaphor. Broken and clean white surfaces in my work refer to the fragmented remains of marble classical and neoclassical sculpture.

In a world that is preoccupied with the human condition I make art that addresses the fundamental questions of who we are and why we are here, exploring the foundation of human essence and spirituality.