Jack McWhorter
Artist Statment
I am impressed by the simple, idealized models based on physical pictures that science often presents to adequately explain much of the universe – models that approximate a phenomenon. Hence, my drawings and paintings explore the intersections between science and art, and are driven by insight into their similar working processes.
Both science and the arts are strongly grounded in intuition, discovery, metaphoric transpositions, and the ability to recognize and apply concepts. Similarly, in both life and art, we register only those details that actually matter to us. What, then, are the roles of seeing relationships, accidents, morphologies, systems? Do we communicate what we see in metaphors? Allusions? Parables? Abstractions? Structures? What, indeed, are the processes of thinking and wondering that make science and the arts work?
The beginnings of these compositions are drawings derived from a kind of physical identification process. The drawings rise from numerous sources such as botanic forms, knots, warped geometric structures and physical effects of tiny processes in, for example, melting ice, soap bubbles, swarming insects and found sounds. I find the inherent qualities of these forms worth investigating as they contain both abstract and real physical characteristics. In turn, I parcel my observations into categories of interest such as sizes of shapes, colors, or ideas. The goal is to find ways of diagramming the interesting parts by relating distinct qualities to one another. Painting, then, formalizes this intuition.
Artist Biography
Jack McWhorter received his M.F.A from Kent State University in 1983. His work can be found in more than 53 public and private collections in 12 states, as well as China, Belgium and Israel. Recent shows include; solo painting exhibitions at Catholic University of Leuven, CC De Lijsterbes Belgium and Malone University, Ohio.
McWhorter has been instrumental in obtaining corporate and foundation support to implement an extensive range of collaborative projects that engage educators in exploring ways of integrating fine arts and scientific inquiry. These exhibition projects have provided significant professional development for both teachers and artists whose long-term partnerships have been an essential feature of the work. Called Discovery/Rediscovery, 1992, Ubu Roi: The Science of Imaginary Solutions,1994, Power of If, 1996, Power of If Squared, 1998, Evolution(s), 2006-08, Shapes of Time, 2009 and Water Webs & Human Networks, 2010. These exhibition projects have provided significant professional development for both teachers and artists whose long-term partnerships have been an essential feature of the work.
A Lot of Energy Makes a Little Matter
Oil & cold wax on canvas, 58x64 inches, 2009
Sky, Earth, Watery Underworld
Oil stick on paper, 26x20 inches, 2009
Three Charged Bodies
Oil & cold wax on canvas, 64x58 inches, 2009
