curatorial statement – johnros.com

as an installation artist i am driven to create interventions that focus on space, light, time and sound through the accumulation of found and assembled objects, newly made works on paper and/or works on wall/floor, and the movement of the viewer or passer-by. my process remains the same when considering curatorial projects, only i use others’ work to activate my interventions.

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i curate to engage a broad audience in a rigorous and diverse dialogue within the visual and sound art landscape. i concentrate on multi-cultural, cross-generational and multi-faceted projects that work with artists from varied backgrounds, levels of training and mediums. connections can be subtle at times, but the dialogue is always multi-layered. i create experiences that allow the viewer to contemplate their surroundings, with exhibition layouts sensitive to the spaces they occupy. my more minimal environments tend to allow each work to speak clearly, while offering a harmonious dialogue. i incorporate enriching programs in traditional and more non-traditional spaces, including opportunities to engage with artists directly, converse with community members and delve deeper into topics, bringing visual conversations outside the gallery.

building community is central to everything i do as an artist, curator and educator. once i get to know a community, i work with members and leaders to build programs that help to counteract visual, cultural and social deficits in an effort to broaden discussions, specify priorities and instigate action.

i have a rigorous practice of viewing exhibits and meeting artists, thereby giving me a chance to broaden my depth of the contemporary. when working with artists i prefer to challenge them in ways that might bring them to new realizations within their own practice by encouraging the exhibition of new work, or by developing something in a new direction. as an artist myself, i know how important these opportunities are to the growth of one’s practice. the goal is to find pertinence in each exhibiting moment, for the audience and for the artists, and to allow an exciting exchange of ideas through visual (and audible) language. these connections are enhanced by programs that help extend conversations beyond the immediate into contemplative and creative spaces to allow for the potential of real growth and change.