Caldbeck is very pleased to present new work by John Wissemann in June 2022. Click here to see the catalogue “From the Summer Studio”: John Wissemann 2022 E-cat
Of his work from the 2021 exhibition “Even and Earth” Wissemann writes:”In the 1990’s, our Cushing neighbor, Leslie Land, invited me to come and draw in her garden; an exuberant, lush swath of much-loved plants tucked into the hillside field beside her house. Every plant and flower had a history and a purpose, each striking in it’s own way, yet lending depth to the overall experience of the garden. Click here to see the catalogue: Heaven and Earth e-catalogue
John Wissemann’s 2005 show “Couples” was a body of work in colored pencil that evolved out of many years of working with 18th and 19th century Japanese woodblock prints as inspiration. His 2001 Farnsworth Museum exhibition caused a sensation; Philip Isaacson wrote for the Maine Sunday Telegram, “The figures are taken from classic Japanese woodblock prints and transferred to stencils and, through them, to paper. a given figure in various guises may appear in several works. It may, perhaps, be culturally anticipated, but its supporting background will be a tumultuous achievement in innovation. Wissemann draws broadly from both the contemporary abstraction and ethnic design sources and assimilates them into an embrace for the Japanese figures. This alone is a remarkable exercise in sophistication, but when charged with the artist’s facility with color, the effect in the gallery is incendiary.”
The artist has had a long career as painter, printmaker, and teacher of art. He has shown widely in New York City, California, and Maine, where exhibits include Gold/Smith Gallery in Boothbay Harbor, Leighton Gallery in Blue Hill, Center for Maine Contemporary Art in Rockport, and Roundtop Center for the Arts in Damariscotta. His solo show at the Caldbeck in 1988 presented his beginnings with the technique of “Pochoir”, which involves the use of stencils.
Pictured: SHADOW 2021 mixed media on paper 29 x 23 inches
