JD Powell

(Ottawa, Ontario, Canada)

Biography

John-David Powell (JD) was involved in property management for 38 years as a public servant. The last 20 years were spent taking care of the Federal Monuments in Canada’s nation’s capital “Ottawa”. Included were the National War Memorial and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

The care and maintenance of these monuments involved a thorough knowledge of heritage masonry.

JD studied painting at the Ottawa School of Art in Ottawa, Ontario Canada.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/oct-22-monument-caretaker-art-1.5769984

Statement (Self impression Series)

My experience in heritage masonry has a great influence on my current artwork. Craftsmanship and attention to detail are paramount in completing my work.

My art influences are from the “New York era” of the “1950’s and 1960s. My work for the past 10 years has uncovered aspects of my daily life, which had and have a profound impact on our contemporary culture.

The unforgettable events on the morning of Wednesday, October 22nd, 2014, at the Canadian National War Memorial with the ISIS-inspired shooting death of the Ceremonial Guard guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, affected my outlook and philosophy on life.

My self impression series is a conscious or sub-conscious process in which I attempt to influence the perceptions of people. My art involves the expression of myself behaving in different ways to create a desired impression. My self impressions present a part of a broader set of behaviours in impression management. My motivations are to please the audience with my art, the other is a self construction to match my self presentation to my ideal self

I want to challenge one’s perceptions, perspectives, and assumptions.

Art remains a strong contender of how we share our thoughts and ideas.

I will twist images that the viewer, in the end, may not expect to see.

I want to bring the viewer into new unexplored territories.

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