Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to John Adelman. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi John, thanks for joining us today. What’s the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?

Several instances in my art career come to mind when others have been overly kind or gone out of their way to express kindness. First, while in graduate school, a prominent New York-based artist was visiting the campus; she offered to critique my work, even though it differed significantly from hers. She was running extremely late for her scheduled public talk when she arrived at my studio; she walked in and stated, “This work is great! But I got to go.” I greatly appreciate that she took that time, as little as it was, to make that comment. Another also while in graduate, after having finished an 8-ft drawing of every object in my studio, my professor (the guru of the professorial contingent) walked up to me, shook my hand, and said, “There is nothing else I can teach you.” But the foremost moment came when I was first shown in a national magazine. I gave a copy to my grandmother, who was overjoyed, verbally so. However, my grandfather, whom I had never seen much emotion, had a tiny, almost indiscernible smile, and that was enough. Validation, whether in grand statements or simple gestures, helps sustain and propel my mental acuity. Art-making is a solitary, singularly focused pursuit, generally devoid of any external acknowledgment. In many instances, even those who collect my work, I am unaware of what prompted them to add it to their collection. Early in my career, these instances made me aware of my abilities and fortified my conceptual understanding of Art. Also, personally, having gone through my cancer journey, there were many family, friends, business associates, and artists who went out of their way to show me great kindness.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I grew up in a small northern Ohio town where Art was not considered a serious, valued, or affirming lifelong pursuit. But from my earliest days, there has been no doubt that I would pursue a career in Art. I always had a pencil, pen, or scissors in my hand to create something. Since there was not much affirmation of my creative pursuits (whether in my early upbringing or undergraduate studies), the World of Art became a mental pursuit. I thought about Art much more than I made it. Hence my maturing into a conceptual artist. My brother first realized my commitment and gave me my first Artists’ League membership. It was an excellent first step, but my sister encouraged me to go to graduate school, where, following an artistically abysmal first semester, I flourished. My most unique quality is my focus and endurance, ascertained through my Nail Drawing Series; in these drawings, I draw thousands, tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of nails (fastener carpenter nails, not fingernails!) One noteworthy artist describes my ability to keep track of the total number of nails drawn as my superpower. This skill is essential, as the total number of drawn nails is the work’s title, as with the work 237,220, where I drew 237,220 nails. I also use text in my work, but not in the traditional manner. I write directly from an unabridged dictionary and layer the text to make it unreadable. Even if there is an instance where a viewer could read a tiny fragment of the work, that fragment would only reveal a portion of a definition and not yield much in the way of narrative or usable information.

I am most proud of my mental development; while physically, I lose ground due to rheumatoid arthritis, I feel strong, vibrant, and significant in my mental pursuits, and the greater sophistication with which my concepts and artwork have progressed. Even exceeding my abilities as I continue to collaborate all the more.

I wish the most significant point I can make to any newcomer to my work is that if you like a mental pursuit, a cognitive boxing match, or an idea-jousting, exhaustive mind game, my works’ strong visual appeal can put you on a cerebral, intellectual, and theoretical roller coaster. So keep your hands and feet inside the car and enjoy the ride!

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

fabricate something that has never been, to think about Art as it has never been thought of before, and to bring to life concepts never before conceived. When I consider the great artists throughout the centuries, Da Vinci, Van Gogh, Bernini, Picasso, and LeWitt, none think as I think, assemble as I assemble, nor know what I know concerning Art. Individual interpretation is the greatest liberator of Art. No one thinks like, or about, feels, is touched by, or progresses toward an end like anyone else. It is my gift to humanity, for all time, my Art. Therefore, it is my responsibility to my Art, and by extension, all of humanity, that I hone my concepts to an individually driven destination. By doing so, I am unique, my artwork is unique, and my exhibitions are unique experiences for those who venture to them. When an artist copies, mimics, is in “the style of…” or flat-out steals (some may use the word “appropriation” here {albeit erroneously,}), they deceive themselves, thieve history of Art, and swindle viewers. For it is a personally developed understanding of creativity that everyone can gift.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

The obstacles are numerous, varied, and unrelenting. My first obstacle was overcoming the environment in which I grew up. It was an environment not conducive to a creative life. It was a small town with a small-town mindset: get educated, get a job, get a family, get retirement, get interred (hopefully somewhere in that period, get religion so it ends in getting to Heaven.) But I did not fit that box. I was so far outside that box that the box was no longer in view. The more I tried that model of existence, the more I struggled. Next came a very lackadaisical mentoring education in college. The educational mindset at the time was “give the student the materials, and they will know what to do.” In other words, there was little to no guidance, and yes, I really did have a professor who read the morning newspaper with his feet up on his desk while the students worked; it’s not just a Hollywood cliché (he probably had patches on the elbows of his corduroy jacket too!) Fortunately, the school had a library solely dedicated to Art, and I spent copious amounts of time researching artists (dreaming of the days of the internet and doing it on my phone!) But my main obstacle has been my health. I have rheumatoid arthritis. This disease negatively affects every joint in my body, including my eyes, nose, sinuses, and neck. Imagine trying to draw when your fingers, wrist, or elbow are in constant, debilitating pain. That is my life. I have found many methods to overcome these obstacles. I use compression gloves, sleeves when I draw, and volleyball knee pads for my elbows (I am 6’3 and 285 lbs.) I vary my drawings so I do not repeatedly impact one area of my body. My drawing time duration varies, as do my relaxation activities. However, in 2019, I was diagnosed with kidney cancer and needed to take a year off from working to recuperate, (I am a part-time teacher.) I did not see this as a negative; instead, I created Art daily with practically no interruptions (except visiting my cancer-care team!). That year was one of my most fun, exhilarating, and artistically productive years, as I created nearly 200 works, including drawings, paintings, collages, assemblages, and sculptures. Not that I want cancer again, but I like that time again. My constant progression despite health setbacks has inspired several others to persevere in their fields of study regardless of the hardships they have endured.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://thejohnadelman.com/
• Instagram: instagram.com/thejohnadelman
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thejohnadelman

Image Credits
all images are courtesy of the artist