Alumni Profile
John Peña
Class of 2008: MFA| Homepage | http://www.johnpena.net |
Bio
I began studying painting and sculpture at Central Washington University and now I hold a BFA in Painting. As my sensibilities in these mediums grew, I noticed that I was constantly trying to create experiences for my viewers. Most of my work dealt with attempting to grasp and discuss the ineffable and ephemeral experiences in my world. Therefore, I was trying to bring myself and my audience closer to the present moment, which is where I felt these experiences truly resided. I began to experiment with installation and site-specific modes of working. I felt much more uncertain and lost in these new domains. However, it was at a point of synthesis among disciplines that I found my most honest voice. I believe that this occurred because the nature of such interdisciplinary media was conducive to creating experiences. I was then able to bring an event to viewers that they could not only observe but also one with which they could interact and participate. My knowledge of 2D and 3D design (from painting and sculpture) helped me to execute work in an interdisciplinary manner and still maintain a strong visual component to complement my more conceptual themes.
The issue of uncertainty began to complement my aesthetic and philosophical sensibilities as well. My work already dealt with attempting to grasp the indescribable and this endeavor resulted in work rooted in concepts concerning futility, perception, nature, loss, ubiquity, and sincerity. In my recent projects, I have begun engaging the community at large and I have been exploring many issues such as: the divide between public and private spheres of art making and viewing; art as experience; and art that inclusive, informative, and approachable for non artists.
Since the beginning of my art making, certain themes have continued to reemerge. These themes concern the landscape in one form or another. I choose the landscape because it is a loaded metaphor from which I can draw and connect with a sort of collective memory or history that we as humans share. In doing so, I am able to reinterpret and represent my surroundings in a way that might surprise or connect with my viewers on a variety of cognitive, emotional, and spiritual levels. Thus it is no surprise that nature and my environment play a huge role in my life, art, and experiences.
