Juan Logan’s art isn’t confined to a singular subject matter or medium. His work is a range of paintings, sculptures, films, and digital prints, and as he’s grown and evolved as a person, his commentary and artistic perspective have simultaneously as well.
He received his M.F.A from the Maryland Institute College of Art, and his pieces have been on featured at prestigious locations such as the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York and the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. Today, he continues to create in his local studio. His exhibit, Long Silence, was on display at SOCO Gallery up through September 14, 2018.
Originally from Nashville, Tennessee, Logan now lives in Belmont. He was raised in a farming community, surrounded by his family.
“It informed me in wonderful ways in terms of creativity. They were constantly making things; if they didn’t have it, they made it,” Logan described.
From a young age, he felt free to take risks in his craft and experiment; he knew that the people close to him would support him, regardless of his success. Additionally, time in the Air Force allowed him to travel and see more of the world.
“It gave me the opportunity to look at other cultures in a different kind of way, up close and personal. We so often think that our way is the only way, never realizing what is going on around us. As a young person, that was really important for me to see,” Logan noted.
Over time, his subject matter has morphed with time, from his embracing his own experiences, to exploring both the American landscape and greater global issues. And, as he embarks to magnify these issues, he isn’t interested in providing answers. “I think what I’m trying to do is to ask better questions. I hope that my audience will consider asking their own questions, perhaps more in-depth questions,” he explained.
In an overly-stimulated culture of social media and images, Logan’s work implores his viewers to pause and reconsider.
“We are all connected, each and every one of us. And it doesn’t really matter if something is happening or has happened on some foreign soil—it’s that it’s happening at all, and shouldn’t we, on some level, be concerned about that? If we see a child in a very desperate situation, does it only have to be our child to care? Isn’t it enough that it’s happening to a child to care? Shouldn’t that be enough? My work is looking at things that are occurring, and trying to develop a visual vocabulary that allows you to talk about those things,” Logan said.
In the near future, Logan’s work will be displayed in fifty shows opening on the same day, one in each state across the country, exploring freedom and activism. It’s evident that Logan has quite a few projects up his sleeves. What we’ve seen thus far, well, is only a beginning.
