Bust of a gentleman

John Gibson received his B.F.A in 1980 from the Rhode Island School of Design and his M.F.A. in 1982 from Yale University. Gibson has chosen to focus on painting spheres throughout his career. This focus has allowed him the ability to experiment with three dimensional space, patterns, movement, and balance within his composition. For instance, when choosing a pattern for a sphere Gibson searches for a design which embodies both forward and backward rhythm, establishing a sense of motion to an otherwise motionless composition. His spheres appear to be both swelling and contracting in addition to simultaneously rounding and flattening. Gibson noted that “Choosing the right pattern is really important. It’s crucial to the question of how the balls turn in space and to how you get from one ball to another. The patterns are the way the paintings move.” With his paintings, Gibson creates a world both concrete and illusionary by combining realistic shapes with mathematically executed