spring 2014 / 35
FEATURES
Dramatic Images
JOHN LYTLE WILSON ’99
j
John LytleWilson
has built his career
on richlypainted animals and robots.
“The cartoons Iwatched as a child
really influenced the formal aspects of
mypaintings in terms of the style, color
choices, and characters,”he says. “But
mywork alsodraws heavilyon religious
art frommy travels to Shanghai, China,
allowingme to explore issues such as
consciousness, freewill, andmortality. I
seemonkeys and robots as both symbols
of the id and superego and also as proto-
andpost-humans—one givingway to the
moral, conscious creatures thatwe are
and another as immortal creationswhose
creator canoffer no salvation.”
Anativeof SouthCarolina,Wilson
came toBirmingham-Southernon a
fine arts scholarship. He receivedhis
MFA from Florida StateUniversity. He
is currently an adjunct professor at BSC,
teachingpainting.
“BSCwas a small pond, but that has
definite advantages,” saysWilson, who is
married toLizGodwinWilson ’00. “The
facultywas always very encouraging and
accessible. I spent countless hours in the
studio, usually late at night. It is surreal to
be teachingherenow.”
According toWilson, this 56 x 68-inch
image called “Vortexof theMostGlorious
Future”was painted last yearwith acrylic
on canvas. “Iwas playingwith the ideas
of backlighting, depth, and theuse
of hard edge geometric abstraction as
background.”
Wilson’sworkhas been featured
inmanypublications, includingNew
AmericanPaintings. In2012, he
was namedoneofOxfordAmerican
magazine’s “100Under 100: TheNew
Superstars of SouthernArt.”
He exhibited a collectionof hiswork
at theMagicCityArt Connection festival
April 25-27 at Birmingham’s LinnPark.
OnMay2, he’s been invited tohold a solo
art show at thenewlyopenedTrimTab
TastingGallery indowntownBirmingham.
His paintingswill alsobe exhibited at
theBirminghamArtWalk festival in
September. Wilson’swork is shown
locally year-round atNakedArtGallery,
located in the city’s Forest Park area.
Wilson
Vortexof theMostGlorious Future
by John LytleWilson (
