John Calder Gunn was born on the 10th of April 1955 in Wick on (NE) Coast of Scotland , in the remote {but astonishly beautiful wilderness of the county of Caithness } and I may add , happy to say it's still more or less today anno 2024 ! { relativley speaking , one of the few unschated wilderneses left in the world today as we know it ! . } it"s the place where I spent my childhood and early adult life and is the source route and foundation of many of my insperations in my art . I have lived since 1980 in the Netherlands ,
In the summer of 1987 at 32 yrs of age . I attended an art course for amateurs in {Terborg ,Nederland} and upon completion I was strongly advised by my teacher { Ben Overkamp an Accomplished Local artist , photographer , painter and suclptor of some renown ! } to take a more serious step and develop my talents further. Taking his advice seriously I sat the entrance exam for entry to The Art Academy formely known as The AKI {Acedemie for Art and Industry ,now after many years and fusion } knowen as the AKIArtez {University of Arts in Enschede in the Nederlands } .
From 1987-1994 I attended the academy evening classes as mature student , 4 nights a week every semester ,traveling by car together with fellow students back and forth for the first 3 yrs , until I could afford to buy a car of my own ( and very gratefull I still am to my fellow companions / artists in spee /and sadly no longer amomg us / # Frans Venhorst # , and # Frans Giesen . But in part due to personal circumstances I was unable to complete the formal qualification. ( despite the fact that I and am registerd in the end exam catalogue ! ) Nevertheless and with several intervals in between, I continue to aspire as an artist .
A Quote : from a respected ( beloved artist and dear friend , Meta Dame ) who I asked to write a recommendation for my site .
A versatile artist, who works to great effect in both the two and three dimensional spheres, he is currently working in the digital medium making digital photo collages from his own photo archives. These collages he sometimes reworks with acrylics and inks. The appearance of his work can best be described as mystical.
About his collages he says :
My work is not only restricted to one medium and more recently , in my digital work in particular! offers me endless possibilities for expression, in my photo collages, in wich I incorperate the same basic principles as in painting - colour, composition, perspective etc ,ect, and add or remove elements or details from the images to match what I have in my minds eye to try and create an atmosphere of the mystical. “ Therein lies the intuitive alchemy of the artist". I am just the conductor of the orchestra!
To quote one of my art teachers who was a huge inspiration to me # Sjef Sales- rip , “You don't make Art, it creates itself" (a rough translation from the Dutch language)
