jowillis@hartford.edu
johnwillisstudio.com
davidsongalleries.com
MFA, Printmaking, University of Hartford
BFA, Printmaking, University of Hartford
At age 15, when I first visited the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, Minn., I did not know what to expect, especially concerning the pieces on view—abstract works of art. The idea of pictorially expressing an idea without reference to reality was powerful and overwhelming. At that moment abstraction became my vehicle for visually expressing myself.
As I pursed my career as an artist in Minneapolis, my work focused on large indoor and outdoor sculptures. My professional career in Minnesota culminated with a four-person exhibition at the Minneapolis Institute of Art entitled Inside Out.
I moved to Hartford, Conn., in 1982 to pursue my career as an artist. At first I continued my focus on sculpture, but gradually shifted my concentration to printmaking and drawing, which are my preoccupations today.
Recently my work has been shown at the International Print Center New York, and First Street Gallery in New York, NY. In June 2016 I had a one-person exhibition, Conflicted Space, at the Davidson Galleries in Seattle, Wash. While in Seattle, I taught a Master Artist Program class in printmaking at the Pratt Fine Art Center.
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