John Judge
Primary Medium: Drawing
Other media: Paint
John Judge Studio
Website: http://registry.whitecolumns.org/view_artist.php?artist=492
Artist Statement
For the past few years, I have created a series of drawings and paintings focused on contemporary American political and social issues. These works have explored a variety of topics including the War in Iraq, American militarism and nationalism, privacy rights and surveillance, global warming, and immigration. My most recent work has concentrated on the production and consumption of spectacle in our media-saturated society.
My drawings/paintings have been influenced, in part, by political cartoons. I try to blend this cartoon-like style with a fine art sensibility. Color, composition, spatial relationships, and other formal devices are employed to support and enhance the content of the images. I use humor and playful color schemes, in part, to keep my paintings and drawings from seeming preachy or heavy-handed.
Whereas political cartoons generally advocate a particular point of view in a blunt manner, I aim to be more subtle.
Other media: Paint
John Judge Studio
Website: http://registry.whitecolumns.org/view_artist.php?artist=492
Artist Statement
For the past few years, I have created a series of drawings and paintings focused on contemporary American political and social issues. These works have explored a variety of topics including the War in Iraq, American militarism and nationalism, privacy rights and surveillance, global warming, and immigration. My most recent work has concentrated on the production and consumption of spectacle in our media-saturated society.
My drawings/paintings have been influenced, in part, by political cartoons. I try to blend this cartoon-like style with a fine art sensibility. Color, composition, spatial relationships, and other formal devices are employed to support and enhance the content of the images. I use humor and playful color schemes, in part, to keep my paintings and drawings from seeming preachy or heavy-handed.
Whereas political cartoons generally advocate a particular point of view in a blunt manner, I aim to be more subtle.
Selected Works
|  Photo Fishing - 2009 - Acrylic and ink on paper, mounted on panel - 12 x 27"  He's a Car Dealer - 2009 - Acrylic and ink on paper - 22 x 28"  Say Cheese - 2009 - Acrylic and ink on paper - 22 x 30"  Big Vantage Point - 2010 - Acrylic, pencil, and burn marks on panel - 36" x 48"  Subjects - 2009 - Acrylic and ink on paper - 13" x 15"  Bench Ad - 2009 - Acrylic and ink on paper - 11" x 15"  Playgrounded - 2007 - Acrylic and ink on paper - 13" x 11"  A Different Base - 2008 - Acrylic and ink on paper - 10.5" x 14"  Photo Fishing, Say Cheese - 2009 - Acrylic and ink on paper (mounted on panel) - 12 x 27", 22 x 30"  Koons Balloons, Bench Ad, Getty Views - 2009 - Acrylic and ink on paper - 14" x 21 1/4", 11" x 15", 13" x 28.5" |
Artist Bio
EDUCATION
Master of Fine Arts in Painting, School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting, School of Visual Arts, New York City
Bachelor of Arts in History, Columbia University, New York City
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2010 "Story Lines," Artspace New Haven, New Haven, CT
2007 "Fill it in," Boston Drawing Project/Bernard Toale Gallery, Boston
2001 "Social Insecurities," Contemporary Art Workshop, Chicago
GROUP EXHIBTIONS
2009 "Boston Drawing Project 10th Anniversary"
Carroll and Sons Gallery, Boston
2008 "Reforming U.S. Immigration through Art," Crown Center Art Gallery,
Loyola University, Chicago
"Ameri-Dreaming: Art & American Culture,"
Claypool-Young Art Gallery, Moorehead State University, Moorehead, Kentucky
2006 "Hand Harvested," Tojo Gallery, Chicago
2004 "150 x 150 Mad Dash!" Greene Street Gallery, Boston
2002 "Winter Paper," Catherine Moore Fine Art, New York City
2000 Chicago Artists 2000/"The Summer Show," Gallery 312, Chicago
1998 "Sunday Afternoon," Wiggle Room, Chicago
"All of This, None of That, and More," Fire King Gallery, Los Angeles
1996 "Jane Benson, Megan Cump, Scott Dietrich, and John Judge"
Gallery 2, Chicago
Nippon Steel Exhibition, Nippon Steel American Headquarters, Chicago
1993 "National Juried Exhibition," Phoenix Gallery, New York City
Curator: Carlos Gutierrez-Solana
"National Juried Exhibition,"Gallery 84, New York City
Curator: Donald Kuspit
AWARDS
1998 City of Chicago Community Arts Assistance Program Grant
Nippon Steel/SAIC Art Appreciation Award
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Fred Camper, "The Summer Show, Gallery 312," Chicago Reader, July 28, 2000
Chicago Reader, July 14, 2000
PUBLISHED WRITING
Art Critic for artsMEDIA and zingmagazine.