Against Gravity: Remembering John Jackson

Artists Archives of the Western Reserve

• Favorite
• 
• 
• 
• 

• Date Friday, January 27, 2023 - Saturday, March 11, 2023
• Learn More

Founded in 1996 by notable Cleveland sculptor David E. Davis and eight other prominent Ohio artists, including Shirley Aley Campbell and Patricia Zinsmeister Parker, the Artists Archives of the Western Reserve (AAWR) emerged from a shared vision. Recognizing the risk... more

The multiple paintings on display in Against Gravity form an aesthetic bridge between Jackson’s drawings and his sculptural oeuvre. Works like Untitled (Building) provide a cipher for understanding the impact of Cleveland’s post-manufacturing environment on his abstract work, with ramshackle geometric planes emerging through soot-tinged washes of color. Other pieces, such as Dance of Line, physically lift the line from the painting’s face, using a suspended wire to create a 3D effect which blurs the boundaries between media. Perhaps of most historical note, are several early watercolors which afford sweeping views of factories against grey-toned skies and foreshadow his use of industrial structures in years to come.

It is Jackson’s fearless ability to pursue an idea across form and media which is the hallmark of his artistic talent. The combination of his paintings, drawings and sculptures featured in Against Gravity: Remembering John Jackson captures his seeker’s spirit and provides a rare glimpse into his world several decades in the making – a fitting tribute for his faithful followers and a perfect introduction for neophytes alike. Jackson’s work will be on view until March 11.