Dedicated September 2006 in memory of the late Lars Hoffman
John Medwedeff has been producing site-specific public sculpture, sculptural fountains, and architectural ironwork for more than 25 years. A blacksmith by trade, his work has evolved into sculpture as he has developed a personal artistic vocabulary. Experiences and memories of landscapes and rivers from his youth in Tennessee and adult life in the Midwest have influenced the shape and form of his work.
In the historic tradition of blacksmiths, the process of heating metal until it is malleable enough to be reshaped at the forge goes back more than a thousand years. John Medwedeff’s years of working on sculpture, whether exclusively with a hammer or the cutting and forming of rods, bars and plates, inevitably has been influenced by the traditions and tools of blacksmithing heritage. However, John Medwedeff’s designs are not restrained by adhesion to specific historical references, and he frequently employs modern technologies and techniques to manipulate the hard and durable materials of bronze and iron.
Visually, he is inspired by the botanical, aquatic and atmospheric phenomena of familiar landscapes.
“I make no distinctions between what is thought to be functional and sculptural objects but rather concentrate on designing pieces that fulfill my intention for the object within the framework of my aesthetic choices,” he said.
Throughout his work, Medwedeff has retained the blacksmith’s desire to reshape the metal and make the surfaces his own. To that end, he has found a personal symmetry between form and function.
His work is represented in private and public collections, including the John Deere Collection, the Metal Museum, the Illinois State Museum, the University School of Nashville, and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.
The sculpture, "Bloom," was commissioned through the Art-in-Architecture Program of the state of Illinois Capital Development Board with additional support from the Olin Corporation, and was dedicated to the late Lewis and Clark Professor Lars Hoffman.
John Medwedeff is an American artist, born in 1962.
