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Unstoppable: John Carroll Long
John Carroll Long, Continuance, mixed media: clay, resin, verdigris overlay, figures, 18" x 24" x 9". Images courtesy of UP ART and DESIGN GALLERY.
By Andrea Clark Brown
One only has to observe artist John Carroll Long at work to realize that he is able to transform his six decades of insatiable curiosity into artifacts that “nail it” when it comes to expressing attributes of human nature. His artworks, being vast and various in medium and method, are often poignant and humorous, silly and severe, in an often bizarre but unique simultaneity.
Seen as twelve artists in “one”, Long commands an artist’s nearly complete repertoire of techniques and media, allowing his fearless intertwining of modes to defy tradition and conjure up material collaborations that are ahead of the times yet understood in our time. Tirelessly cognizant of what is new in social, political, scientific, spiritual and political realms, this is an artist who reads ravenously, listens to the “latest” music, and is never without sketch paper. Moment by moment, he employs an unusual personal discipline that brings summary to his broad array of daily findings. These remarkably succinct and witty morsels are the kernels of what oftentimes become masterworks of ingenuity and connective power.
Mrs. Icarus (detail), mixed media assemblage, 7' x 7'4" x 28''
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What, as an example, does the artist find in ancient mythology that he can rewrite for a future reality? For Long, the journey is to reveal the “lesson” of such myths and reconstitute the events to embody and elucidate his personal ideology. Representative of this reformation are his large-scale, mixed-media fabrications, which include Mrs. and Mr. Icarus in Studio, which, in Long’s mythical rendition, has Mr. Icarus escaping inevitable demise through the interventions of his equally powerful mate and wife, Mrs Icarus. In Long’s view, Mrs. Icarus is assembled as the iconic woman of depth and potency, motherhood and maker. It is this artist’s personal objective to imprint the well-founded contemporary paradigm of women as strong and essential partners in life, with their mighty and sagacious attributes magnifying those of their counterparts’ in a magical union. Without a doubt, these mates present their power with equal strength.
Much of Long’s portfolio conscientiously hybrids commonly recognized objects and entities to form surreal and evocative pairings. This is not limited to three-dimensional and installation works, but also appears as a technique in everything from pen and ink drawings to his newest “paintography” works. These latest artistic inventions evolve from a methodological layering approach using photographic transparencies, an undertaking that is entirely devoid of the Photoshop toolbox.
Long’s curious cabinet of artworks is far too well stocked to be summarized in the few words offered here. His keen maneuvering through the psychological, scientific and spiritual lead us well into a visual universe that is profoundly intergalactic and timeless.
Leave it to say that Long’s continuing voice and mastery of technique is able to render from the everyday a fresh and witty, poignant and sometimes startling contact with a deep and visionary intelligence, not to mention the funny bone and the heart.
For more information visit, www.johnlongart.com
John Carroll Long is represented by UP ART and DESIGN GALLERY. 340 8th Street South. Naples, FL, 34102. Phone: 239 641 3898 www.upartanddesign.com / upartanddesign@yahoo.com
Andrea Clark Brown is an arts writer based in Naples.
