Under the Surface: John Folsom

We are thrilled that artist, John Folsom has decided to join Pryor Fine Art. Folsom has been a recognizable name in the Atlanta art world for years, and is recognized for his idealized Southern landscapes. Read below to learn a little more about John Folsom.

PFA: Tell us about your background. Where did you grow-up? Your family?

FOLSOM: I grew up in Paducah Kentucky and was surrounded by a creative and multi talented family. My mother is a piano teacher and my father is a Classical and Jazz music enthusiast so there was always music in the house growing up. They were also big lovers of art and painting and had in their possession a Hudson River School piece from the 19th century...certainly a huge source of inspiration for me.

PFA: How did your background influence your career?
FOLSOM: My mom established a puppet company sometime in the early 70's and my siblings and I were conscripted into service as puppet makers, scene designers and recording artists, laying down stories on tape for the puppets to perform. I've always felt that my work was something akin to set design...kind of a silent witness for human interaction.

PFA: At what age did you become curious about art?

FOLSOM: I would have to say I was a late bloomer. I started college as a music major but decided to take a course in basic B/W photography when I was 19. After the first day of class I went home and told my mom that I was changing my major to photography, she did not take the news well but now I think she would agree that everything turned out okay.

PFA: What inspires you? How do you stay inspired?

FOLSOM: I try to stay current with what's going on in the city of Atlanta but I also look at a lot of art blogs...Hiking and camping are activities which also keep me engaged in the process of creativity. A few days on Cumberland Island and your ready for anything!

PFA: What is your artistic philosophy?

FOLSOM: To create an environment or potential space where all things are possible.

PFA: What do you need around you while you are working in the studio?

FOLSOM: MUSIC!

PFA: What artist(s) has (have) had the biggest influence on your work?

FOLSOM: Good question...Rauschenberg of course, Eva Hess, David Hockney, but probably this biggest influence is the work of Mike and Doug Starn whom I discovered in about 1988...they were really interested in thinking about the medium of photography in new and inventive ways.

PFA: What do you most enjoy doing while you are not working?

FOLSOM: Hiking, reading Jerry Saltz, and enjoying molecular gastronomy.

PFA: What is your favorite traveling experience?

FOLSOM: One that involves a forest or an ocean.

PFA: If you weren’t an artist – what would you be?

FOLSOM: Maybe an architect?...For Renzo Piano to create something as sublime as the Fondation Beyeler in Switzerland surely is proof of the divine.