John McDevitt King. USA °1954
Very often, a King composition can follow in the tradition of the still life. An object is situated at center, or perhaps two objects balancing the canvas, or occupying a floating box—some oddly familiar, yet nonspecific flora, an underwater creature, or a meteorological event. Or some amalgamation of biological and mechanical, a new phylum. “I’m intrigued by the strange quality in the commonplace. I’m interested in what you think you know as much as what you know,” notes King. These objects have enough presence, purpose even, to make you feel like you're spying. Like in Toy Story
—leave the room, and the toys are alive and plotting capers. In addition, there is an internal luminosity to the artworks, a curious source of warm light emanating from the layers of beeswax, like blood pulsing through veins, animating the objects. (Susan Yung)
