Meet John Reynolds | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with John Reynolds and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi John, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Art for me is something that has always been unavoidable, because I’m totally lost in my own fantasy world most of the time! I paint highly imagined settings that play with notions of utopia and dystopia, landscapes in harmony and in peril. The paintings are an extension of what’s happening in my mind, as well as my response to the world around me. It’s a transformative experience to find something that I’m absolutely obsessed with. I think about painting all the time. The career then become based on the obsession. When I’m painting, there is a state of flow that takes over the process and things are coming out parts of the mind that I normally wouldn’t have access to. It’s probably a lot like when an athlete is ‘in the zone’. I lose complete since of time and the world around me quiets.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m an artist whose primary focus is oil painting. My paintings depict intimate and colorful settings that stem from personal memories, as well as my musings on futurity and utopian visions. My aim is to create serene images that balance imaginary landscapes with reflections on reality. Right now, I’m totally engrossed in video games. I don’t actually play video games, but I look at how game designers borrow components of painting and art history in their visuals. The idea of paintings going through a type of metamorphosis through digital screens and becoming interactive is kind of mind blowing. And, I like the idea of bringing the images back to the canvas. In my recent work, pictures of trees, stars, and bodies of water are often disrupted by human interventions in the form of figures and buildings. The highly saturated color palettes are used to mimic screens.
For years, I worked corporate jobs to support my art practice. The only time left to paint were on nights and weekends. In 2021, I went back to school to get my masters in fine arts, desperately wanting to break from the cycle of the corporate grind and fully devote myself to being a painter. I don’t really believe in overnight success stories, as I’ve taken the long route in becoming an artist. That is the best way to build a solid foundation. Some people move fast, and that’s great for them, but I want to work in a way that it’s hard to undermine the work— avoid shortcuts and quick fixes. There are three aspects of an artist career: your personal life, your art life, and your art career. A personal life is pretty self-explanatory. Then, there’s the process of making and being in the studio, which is the most rewarding for me. And finally, there’s the art career: networking, applying to opportunities like grants and residencies, building and maintaining your website, social media, etc. That’s the part that doesn’t come as naturally for me. I’d love to just be hiding in my studio and painting, but I also know that these are important components to being an artist today.
The career aspect hasn’t come easily, but I truly believe that perspiration is more important than inspiration to achieve goals. The inspiration will come in the process of working. I have to tell myself just to just start and the rest will follow.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m mostly in New York, where I have access to so many amazing museums and institutions. The same has been my experience in LA, and that’s what I always look to do. I love go with my friends to experience the different art scenes. There’s such a range. In LA, you have large museums that show both contemporary and historic works, so of course LACMA, MOCA, The Getty, The Broad, etc. Also, to see galleries that bring contemporary art from around the world, and small downtown galleries that are showing emerging and experimental artists. There are so many different things happening at the same time. It feels like many worlds coexisting in one place.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
At first, starting my own path felt daunting! Enrolling in a masters degree in fine arts at Brooklyn College, I was educated by some of the most insanely talented New York-based artists, including Stuart Elster, Derrick Adams, Patricia Cronin, Archie Rand, Lee Maxey and Anton Konst. During that time, I worked for a reputable painter named Judith Bernstein, who has been living and working in New York since the 60s. The greatest gift is having the guidance of mentors. It’s so important to seek them out. If you’re unfamiliar with any of these artists’ works, I highly recommend looking them up!

Website: https://johnreynoldsstudio.com

Instagram: john_reyn

Image Credits
Claudia Hernandez