John Bjerklie

THEN / NOW  Dreams & Delusions: Do Not Be Afraid  In a world that operates by the commoditization of anything and everything, maintaining a sense of personal relevance is a daunting challenge.  John Bjerklie’s installation, at The Phatory, Dreams & Delusions: Do Not Be Afraid,illustrates the artist’s attempts at constructing a value system that reflects his own standards. Inspired by the Stanley Kramer’s film It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.Bjerklie’s installation deftly arranges assorted objects-at-hand like stand-ins for the thoughts and perspectives that play a role in his efforts to attain self-respect and artistic enfranchisement. 

Mr. Bjerklie holds a BFA from the Maine College of Art and an MFA from Washington University in St Louis. His work is exhibited nationally and in Europe. Residencies he has held include: Socrates Sculpture Park in New York City, the Ucross Foundation in Wyoming and the Ateliers Triangle in Marseille France. He has taught in various capacities at Rutgers University, Marymount Manhattan College and the Maine College of Art. And, he has been a visiting artist at the Savannah College of Art and Design, Washington University, Webster University, Fairfield College, University of Missouri at Columbia and the Ecole Superieure Des Beaux Arts, Marseille.null