Unlimited

January 24 – April 21, 2018

Prolific, imaginative and revealing an incessant aptitude for charting different bodies of work, John Carroll Long (American, 1950) is something of a polymath artist, whose work addresses the human condition and life’s complexities.

A native of Michigan, Long spent over 50 years as a photographer, illustrator and cartoonist outside Detroit and in Ann Arbor before relocating to South Florida in 2007. His fine-art portfolio emerged with vigor from this multifaceted background: After he moved to Naples, the artist expanded his skill set and began working in three dimensions, yet the use of wit and wordplay, which are omnipresent in his cartoons, continued to permeate his work.

In defiance of limitations to his creative process and a growing need to communicate ideas, Long became an autodidact, mastering and incorporating painting, printmaking, sculpture and metalworking into his presentday practice. Imbuing his works with social commentary, the artist combines his knowledge of different art techniques with a personal sense of observational humor and gentle subversion. Through bright, unusual constructions and wall assemblages, he approaches his subjects from many intellectual viewpoints: art history, politics or life’s conundrums. At times, the visual styles and narratives are so different that one could be led to believe the works were created by different artists.

Long’s continually evolving body of work is supported by a vast production of paintings, prints, “paintography,” quasinarrative and fully abstract, three-dimensional works along with a growing number of small-scale installation works in mixed media and constructions out of found objects. His work perpetually allows for multiple translations and reflections of history, contemporary culture and details of a personally constructed “cultural, often surreal mythology.” Using ambiguity, metaphors and word art, the artist creates unique compositions that are enigmatic, cerebral and at times provocative.

Unlimited: The Multifaceted Art of John Carroll Long features a crossselection of 35 works that illustrate the artist’s versatility in different media and invite the viewer to contemplate their narrative impact.

Associated Events

  Gallery Talk: Unlimited
     March 15, 2018 at 10am

This exhibition is organized by Artis—Naples, The Baker Museum, and is generously underwritten by Waterside Shops.