Leave it to a great artist to know great artists, and to a great publication to get the right words out. In this week's Free Times, one of my favorite artists from Northeast Ohio, and our finest arts journalist, Douglas Max Utter paid tribute to John Jackson and Masumi Hayashi [1], and finally shared true insight about these great artists and their work, characters and visions with the world.
I'm especially pleased Doug focuses his article on John Jackson, who is not well documented yet created very impactful art. The only sculpture I know to be in public display, the sculpture in the labyrinth garden being dedicated in his honor tonight [2] (exhibited here), is just my kind of sculpture... it makes me think of David Smith [3], who is a favorite of mine. The work in the garden at W65th and Clinton is compact yet powerful, and well suited to the context... one feels it created the garden itself.
In Doug's memoriam, especially moving is the observation: "Masumi Hayashi and John Jackson had little enough in common in terms of media or artistic concerns, yet in temperament they were remarkably alike, sharing a gentle thoughtfulness mixed with hardnosed dedication to their craft." It seems, for artists, it takes one to know one. Compliments to Doug Utter for digging and thinking deep to bring to this community a better understanding of art and its role in our lives, and place in our history, than did any other media source in NEO.
Rest in peace.
