Daily Geology- autobiographical comics of artist's daily life
John Pena - Exploring The Natural World Through Art
Printmaker, Illustrator and Educator
By: Sarah Tropkoff
MORGANTOWN, W. Va. - A printmaker, illustrator and educator, John Peña, uses his daily interactions as a way to explore the natural world through art.
“In a short time John Peña has made a national representation of himself. He has shown his work all over the country. In my opinion, John is the representation of the quintessential of the 21st century artist, his work is not balancing medium of image. In fact when being introduced to his work you may meet multiple John Peña’s, as I found,” said Joseph Lupo, coordinator of the printmaking program here at West Virginia University.
On Thursday, Oct. 15 at 5 p.m. Peña spoke about his projects at the Creative Arts Center at West Virginia University as part of the 2015-2016 Visiting Artist Lecture Series.
“Peña seemed like a very complex guy, and he has a really unique perspective on the future,” said Woody Pond, a theater student here at West Virginia University, who attended Peña’s lecture.
Peña spoke about two projects that he has been working on for many years now, Daily Geology and Word Balloons. Both are on display in the Laura Mesaros Gallery at the Creative Arts Center at West Virginia University until Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2015.
On Thursday, Oct. 15 at 5 p.m. Peña spoke about his projects at the Creative Arts Center at West Virginia University as part of the 2015-2016 Visiting Artist Lecture Series.
“Peña seemed like a very complex guy, and he has a really unique perspective on the future,” said Woody Pond, a theater student here at West Virginia University, who attended Peña’s lecture.
Peña spoke about two projects that he has been working on for many years now, Daily Geology and Word Balloons. Both are on display in the Laura Mesaros Gallery at the Creative Arts Center at West Virginia University until Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2015.
"I was inspired by his belief that the art is within him and that if he gets out of his own way and sits there alive in the peace and quiet, that the ideas will make themselves ." -Woody Pond
“While on the surface these projects may not seem to link. I like to think three things link them all; absurdity, discipline and sincerity,” said Lupo.
Daily Geology is a five book series, almost six years in the making of Peña making a drawing of his day with his thoughts and interactions explained under the drawing.
“In his Daily Geology project, John attempts to sum up an entire days experience in one drawing and by doing so he is taking the tradition of autobiographical comics to an absurd level,” said Lupo.
Peña’s more recent Daily Geology submissions are on display in the Laura Mesaros Gallery.
Daily Geology is a five book series, almost six years in the making of Peña making a drawing of his day with his thoughts and interactions explained under the drawing.
“In his Daily Geology project, John attempts to sum up an entire days experience in one drawing and by doing so he is taking the tradition of autobiographical comics to an absurd level,” said Lupo.
Peña’s more recent Daily Geology submissions are on display in the Laura Mesaros Gallery.
Peña’s projects are based on a culmination of small pieces of daily art that have evolved in time, as a whole product, into grand visions of creativity that you wouldn't expect at first glance.
His Word Balloons are an example of this.
“I wanted to explore how the act of daily speech has the capacity to carry a significant intellectual and emotional weight. When manifest in the physical world, these words can be so light and yet so heavy that they need to be braced in order to remain in the world,” said Peña
During his lecture, Peña explained that his word balloons were almost questions and answers to each other.
“I wanted to explore how the act of daily speech has the capacity to carry a significant intellectual and emotional weight. When manifest in the physical world, these words can be so light and yet so heavy that they need to be braced in order to remain in the world,” said Peña
During his lecture, Peña explained that his word balloons were almost questions and answers to each other.
His first balloon on display in the Laura Mesaros Gallery, says “Sometimes I just don’t know how to be in the world.” Then the bigger balloon is sort of a call in response to that, saying “So I talk and talk and work to try and fill the emptiness.”
It became a reflection of how Peña doesn’t know how to be in the world and how he goes about figuring what it means to be alive in this world.
“The word balloons acted as a poetic statement that eventually had to come down. The words were put out into the world and then the moment they were put out in the world they had to be taken down,” said Peña.
Peña’s view on nature and the world around us is unlike anyone’s most people have ever come in contact with.
His thoughts are complex and filled with constant confusion as to what his purpose in life is.
“I was inspired by his belief that the art is within him and that if he gets out of his own way and sits there alive in the peace and quiet that the ideas will make themselves,” said Pond.
It became a reflection of how Peña doesn’t know how to be in the world and how he goes about figuring what it means to be alive in this world.
“The word balloons acted as a poetic statement that eventually had to come down. The words were put out into the world and then the moment they were put out in the world they had to be taken down,” said Peña.
Peña’s view on nature and the world around us is unlike anyone’s most people have ever come in contact with.
His thoughts are complex and filled with constant confusion as to what his purpose in life is.
“I was inspired by his belief that the art is within him and that if he gets out of his own way and sits there alive in the peace and quiet that the ideas will make themselves,” said Pond.
Peña uses his projects as an outlet to figure out what the next way for him to explore the world and fill the empty space around him is.
If you get the chance stop by the Creative Arts Center or check out some of Peña’s other projects, such as Letters to the Ocean or Untitled Cloud Series!
If you get the chance stop by the Creative Arts Center or check out some of Peña’s other projects, such as Letters to the Ocean or Untitled Cloud Series!
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Additional Information:
Contact: Mesaros Gallery (304) 293-2312
Web Link: http://www.johnpena.net
Web Link: http://www.johnpena.net
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