 |
About the project | About John Kuzich | My sincere thanks | Call for stories | What's new | Contact |
John Kuzich moved to San Francisco in 1969, where he joined the design and art community. During his 30 year career as a noted graphic designer, he served a wide range of Bay Area clients, consisting of small entrepreneurs to such companies as Chevron, Bank of America, Del Monte, The Christian Brothers, The San Francisco Symphony and many others. Over the years, he has taken off time to produce two major bodies of fine art which have been exhibited in various settings. During the late 80's, he created a series of sixty motivational poster prints and inspirational writings which now hang in homes throughout the U.S. and Europe. He also taught Graphic Design at The Academy of Art and Illustration at San Francisco City College. Originally from Detroit, Michigan, where he and his parents lived with his Russian grandparents, John was born on Russian Easter morning. A love of art must have come from his father Max, who has been described as a gifted young artist. As a young father, Max was unable to pursue a career in art. In 1960, as a senior at Lee M. Thurston High School, John won top honors at both the Regional Michigan and the National Scholastic Art Awards competition held at the Chrysler Salon in New York City. The scholarship to Pratt was turned down, and later he gained scholarships to the Art Society of Arts and Crafts and the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles. John also enjoys a life long passion for architecture and during the 70's and 80's he traveled to Barcelona ( to experience the work of Antonio Gaudi ), England, Paris and Russia, where he added much to his love of shape and form, texture and decoration, and combinations of metal work, tiles and glass. Strong influences from this passion are easily seen in the first 15 works from his "Trust" series of assemblages. Now retired, John is dedicated to his fine art. His work has been exhibited in venues throughout the Bay Area and he has won numerous awards including a SECA Award nomination via the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. John also teaches art to seniors in private care homes through ELDERGIVERS and its Art With Elders Program. He also designs and produces websites for creative people and small businesses, to pay for his artistic pursuits. The Muni Fast Pass Project is his most ambitious work in progress from his current series called"Trust," which began in 2001. "My art is intended to expand the viewer's ability to see the extra-ordinary in what we may think of as ordinary objects and materials. It also creates an opportunity for personal reflection as a result of my artist statement and the titles I choose." ARTIST'S STATEMENT
My art is grounded in the psychology of the human experience where relevant concepts are presented in an abstract framework; leaving space for personal reflection and interpretation. A common theme throughout all of my work is the relationship between order and chaos and our need to create mental and physical routines, structures, and systems which help us counter the mysterious, unpredictable, and chaotic nature of our experience. I am particularly interested in a number of core issues such as ...
MY ART MAKING MATERIALS I resonate strongly with - primarily - materials and objects that are common to our experience. These create a personal connection with the viewer. I also find it interesting to take such "ordinary" materials and objects and to TRANSFORM them into something extraordinary, where the result is a work of art with lasting graphic integrity. -- John Kuzich, August 2006 |
|
