Artist's Biography - Marion Meyer Contemporary Art

Szabo’s documentary film “Creativity Explored”, about an art gallery by the same name in San
Francisco, premiered on PBS.
He earned a Master of Fine Arts in Journalism from Indiana University, with a focus on
Reporting The Arts, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from UC Irvine.
Artist’s Statement
Many things inspire me. It can be something as simple as a random patch of ground that
catches my attention where the texture, color and composition of concrete, asphalt, oil and
years of street grime mix. Sometimes I will work on a piece over a few weeks and other times I
will set something aside and complete it over a few months.
Art has the power of placing you in the Now. The present. We all spend too much time dwelling
on the past or worrying about the future. Great art allows you to live in the present. Art is about
an experience between the viewer and the art. Whether it be painting, writing, film, music or
theatre.
Every painting is a process of discovery and experiment. I vary my techniques sometimes
using a palette and sometimes mixing paints directly on the surface. I rarely use brushes
favoring metal and plastic application tools. I paint in many layers then sand or scratch away to
allow the painting to reveal itself. I especially enjoy the art of Richard Diebenkorn, Mark Rothko
and Marc Chagall.
Rather than speak in intellectual or convoluted artistic terms about my paintings I prefer each
person bring a new and personal interpretation based on their own life history, experience,
emotions and chemistry. I hope one can view my paintings and be inspired by whatever
emotions they experience.
I consider my paintings a culmination of a lifetime of work in the arts with a focus on
photography, filmmaking, painting and writing – poetry, short fiction and journalism.
John Szabo
Education
1989 M.A. Indiana University. Ernie Pyle School of Journalism.
Concentration in Reporting The Arts.
Completed M.A. thesis on painters under guidance of Professor Peter Jacobi, previous editor
of the New York Times Arts Section and renowned art critic.
1985 B.A. University of California, Irvine. Political Science.