John Felix Arnold III, solo show
“No Destination”

October 3 – November 1, 2014

San Francisco, CA -- FFDG is pleased to present Oakland-based artist John Felix Arnold III in his first solo show with the gallery entitled “No Destination” including paintings, fabricated found wood assemblages, works on paper, small sculptural works, and sound. An opening reception is scheduled for Friday, October 3rd (6-9pm). Beer and wine will be available. John Felix Arnold III will be present. 

Expanding upon his visual narrative of the future past, Arnold has incorporated several abstract works which metonymically hint at this time rather than literally depicting it. The pieces feature his post-apocalyptic narrative, whose figures, in this installment, have woken up from a collective dream allowing the artist to explore his own experiences with meditative visions in ancient temples that contain collective resonance. The works carry the historical weight of assemblage, with actual origins in the streets from which they were recovered. But they evolve through the combination of weathered, industrial materials and Arnold’s impeccable painting skills bringing about a dynamic tension. Featuring chaotic figures, onomatopoeic flashes, layered resins and stains, and even what looks to be periwinkle blue, this body of work builds on Arnold’s recent exhibitions by opening it to more intangible possibilities. 

John Felix Arnold III was born in 1980 in Durham, North Carolina, and currently lives and works in Oakland, CA. He was exposed to the mid 80s New York City art scene as a child, while his father was with Pilobolus Dance Theatre. He graduated from the Pratt Institute in 2002 with a BFA in Communication Design but moved to San Francisco for graduate study in printmaking at the San Francisco Art Institute. 

Arnold’s work has been exhibited in museums and galleries throughout the United States including the SFMoMA Artists’ Gallery, the Luggage Store Gallery, the Shooting Gallery, ArtNowNY, Superchief, and Queens Nails Projects. Last year, he was also invited by Spes-Lab Gallery in Tokyo to hold a month-long residency and exhibition.