Aesthetic Statement

JOHN FILLWALK
Aesthetic Statement

I approach the exploration of new work from a position grounded in experimentation between media, disciplines and processes. I actively investigate and evaluate emerging technologies that inform my approach to working in a variety of media including video installation, single-channel video, sound art, 3D-animation, digital imaging, interactive and net-based work. In developing new concepts and forms, I draw on intersections between eastern philosophies and western science, as well as juxtapositions between built and natural constructs.

Conceptually, I position my work to act as a mediator between physical and implied space, charging the transformative nature of a composition. Expansive, accommodating space becomes increasingly more interior and condensed, providing an environment for reorientation within a work. I am particularly interested in realizing the potential of form and image that affords interaction at its most fundamental level. As an intermedia artist, I have also come to value the synergy of collaboration and have worked closely with composers, scientists, and architects on many projects.

New media extends the range of the traditional studios by establishing a palette of time, motion, interactivity, and virtuality. I find that the ephemeral nature of electronic and intermedia work transcends the traditional modes and expectations of art. The significance of the tangible becomes fleeting, shifting emphasis from the object to the experience. Electronic time-based works, by their very nature are inherently transformative; creating a shifting context between what is known and what has yet to be perceived.


John Fillwalk
Electronic Art
Ball State University
email: jfillwalk@bsu.edu