Bruce Silverstein Gallery is pleased to announce John Wood Collages, 1955 – 2006. John Wood is known as an artist’s artist. He is one of the pre-eminent artists and educators of our time. A master of processes from straight photography, collage, cliché verre, solarization, mixed media, offset lithography to drawing, he has an incredible ability to work decisively across a variety of media with ease. Wood spent 35 years teaching photography and printmaking at the School of Art and Design at Alfred University in Alfred, New York. His teaching, his art making, and his life are intricately entwined, each reinforcing the other.
Born in California in 1922, John Wood’s early childhood was marked by the effects of the Depression. His family made frequent moves, as his father sought better employment.
While in third grade, John began taking drawing classes at the Memorial Art Gallery in Rochester, New York for several years. In 1941 he volunteered for the Army Air Corps, where he trained as a B-17 pilot.
By 1950 John Wood was determined to study art and design. He subsequently trained as a visual designer and photographer at the Institute of Design in Chicago, John Wood’s work freely moves between conceptual and visual exploration. He loves to draw, the way some people love to read.
He has exhibited extensively and his work can be found in most major collections. John Wood’s exhibitions are noted for their breadth and strength. His work refuses to be shoehorned into one style. At a time, when specialization in art was the norm, he exhibited work in photography, drawing, printmaking and artist’s books. His unique books especially bring the power of his ideas into a cohesive whole.
This exhibition represents a survey of his collage work from the 1950s through 2006. Currently, John Wood lives in Baltimore, Maryland with his wife, Laurie Snyder who teaches photography at the Maryland Institute College of Art. They migrate each summer to their home and studio in Ithaca, New York.