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WHY? Ever since I can remember I have always been drawn to primary colors. As a child I was always interested in how things worked and I remember taking toys apart rather then playing with them. I have always been drawn to engineering and the mechanical world fascinated me. It's hard to believe how raw materials mined from this planet provide us with the products we use daily. I don't truly belive this, but I daydream that we do have aliens hidden away somewhere and that we are reverse engineering their technology. It's quite entertaining to watch some of the old 50's and 60's footage of alien abduction stories. If I lived in that time, I don't think I would be making such claims but I sure would love to be friends with the people that were. I always liked to collect things, even though I don't consider myself a collector. I take great pride in ownership but I'm not a museum. I probably irritate true collectors by doing some of the things that I do. I'll buy something rare and open it, and by doing so, I destroy the value of the item. My toys for instance are my props, my tools, they are interesting to me and I use them as subjects in my paintings. I love the physical act of painting. Holding a brush, the act of applying paint to a canvas, the magic of creation, design, composition and the idea process. I tried painting tradition still lifes, landscapes, and even portraits while attending art school. I had no passion for those subjects and actually stopped painting for several years. The toys, mannequins, and saucers have given new life and purpose to my art which i hope to explore for many years to come. |
ARTIST STATEMENT John Padlo fondly remembers the longing for fantastic toys, action figures and futuristic inventions that were always just out of reach. Now a fully realized artist, John’s work resurrects these vintage playthings and lost design techniques of a bygone era. With his evocative oil paintings as our guide, we recall a world of promise and imagination, unspoiled by a looming future of cheap manufacturing and brand saturation. Padlo's strongly colored oils synthesize the surreal promise of illustration with the monumental power of painting. Keen observers will note the influences the artist gained from the design, engineering and illustrative disciplines, which he distills through the aesthetic of the industrial revolution. Each composition invites the viewer to explore a secret story through the subtle interplay of light and shadow, nature and industry, past and present. Every brush stroke is a tribute to a truly free creative process, a celebration of youthful dreams realized, and an art form that is both lost and found. EDUCATION John Padlo has extensively studied art at the renowned Academy of Art in San Francisco, the largest art school in the United States. Taking fine art classes from Peter Schifrin, Michele K. Goodwin, along with private lessons from Douglas P. Morgan. John also painted on a regular basis with Bill Rhae. EVENTS 2011 - Benjamin Benjamin Gallery, Portalnd Oregon, Group Show - War Games 2010 - Basement Gallery, Boise - December Group Show 2009 - Record Exchange, Boise - Munny/Dunny Christmas Auction PRESS 2009 - Boise Weekly - October 28 - November 3 Issue - ARTS - New Crop RELATED ARTICLES 2009 - Idaho Statesman - December 3 - Perry Alen Leaves Basement Gallery ORGANIZATIONS Treasure Valley Artists Alliance - Member since 2010
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art@johnpadlo.com - phone: 208-846-9698 John Padlo Fine Art - P.O. Box 28 - Meridian, ID 83680
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© 2009 All images are the property of John Padlo. Unauthorized use is prohibited.
