From sculptor John Wolfe’s earliest childhood memories, a balsa wood and coat hanger wire mobile created by his Mother hung in their living room. That sculpture served as the earliest inspiration for this Artist’s life’s work in mobiles and kinetic sculptures – the focus of his work today.

Add to that a fearless use of bold colors inspired by Calder, Klee and Matisse and botanical inspiration that comes to him naturally from living deep in the woods of Florida, and you have a good idea of the sculptures and mobiles that now grace private homes and public buildings throughout the United States. Wolfe’s sculptures range from huge outdoor sites (the Mennello Museum of American Art in Orlando) to the ceilings and walls of private homes. And those works range in size from tabletop to monumental scale.

A “hands-on” artist in every sense of the word, Wolfe welcomes the opportunity to work with clients, facilitating the progression from original idea to the ultimate design and fabrication of works for each selected site. Working primarily with steel and aluminum, Wolfe uses his background in painting to create dynamic textures on the surfaces of his work. His standing sculptures add bold ‘focal points’ to the landscape with kinetic pieces, such as windvanes, adding dimensions of movement to the sites. One can find this sculptor checking out everything from open spaces in stairways and cathedral ceilings in private homes to the lawns around museums as possible installation possibilities. As a true Artist, John Wolfe can “see” those spaces as the backdrop for his next creation.

Tell us, how did you get started? Who were your first MAJOR influences?

From the time I was very young, art seemed to be my direction. Even in elementary school, my artwork always landed on the bulletin board in the school cafeteria. My mother was a very talented and diverse artist. A small balsa wood and wire mobile that she created was always displayed in our living room. Mobiles were as common an art form as painting, and this experience definitely led me in the direction of kinetic sculpture and mobiles. I majored in studio art and education at Rollins College and taught art in public schools in Orange County (FL) for fifteen years. I gave up teaching to focus full time on my art career.

Please use your own words to describe your art...

Working primarily in metals, I make sculpture that hopefully engages the viewer in a pleasant and enjoyable way. My designs are frequently based on nature and often-times botanically inspired. My goal is to create work that is well designed, frequently colorful that draws the viewer to explore the sculpture and then form their own interpretations. What I see as the meaning of any one sculpture, the viewer may see with a totally different eye. I enjoy listening to people's comments. I generally keep my own interpretations to myself.

When/What happened to first make you think of yourself as an artist?

Here again, back in elementary school and going through my car drawing stage, a fellow student looked at one of my drawings and said, “you really have a knack for drawing cars.” Well, I couldn’t hit a baseball worth a darn, so there you have it.

What inspires you NOW?

I seem to be a professional artist at this point in my life, so frequently my inspiration comes from the wishes of my current client. On the other hand, I constantly have new ideas that I put on my list to create and when time permits or when I prepare for a non-themed show, I experiment with new ideas and processes. My actual inspiration for new work usually comes from two places. One, when working on one piece, I get an idea for a new piece and two, I just go outside for a walk, pick up sticks, look at trees, leaves and branches and the ideas begin to appear.

Where is your favorite place to create art? What do you enjoy about the act of creating?

My favorite place to create sculpture is actually a time, not a place. Any time that it is not 95 degrees and 95 percent humidity sounds good. Suited up for welding and grinding during the Florida summer can be a bit warm. I enjoy working on cool winter mornings. Living in Florida offers the opportunity for me to get outside and observe nature. I live within 25 miles of the beaches and even closer to the St. John’s River. I am fortunate that my home is located on a couple acres of wooded property surrounded by more woods. Just walking outside is a beautiful inspiration.

Describe the “perfect” YOU sculpture. Have you achieved it yet?

I am my own worst critic. When my wife, Geri sees me trash a piece of sculpture that I am not satisfied with, it makes her crazy. I am definitely not a perfectionist although some might argue that point. I always see room for improvement both on craftsmanship and design. Maybe I could lighten up a little bit, but that helps me keep moving forward.

Creating – particularly with metal – takes a lot of energy. How do you “re-charge” your batteries?

I recharge my batteries by cleaning my studio at the end of a big project. It feels like a fresh start. I relax by working in the yard and tending to the dogs, chickens and koi.

What’s your fondest hope for the future of your career?

The hope for my career is to be able to continue to create work that the art appreciating public will find new, original and enjoyable. I would also hope for a future where my studio is full of skilled assistants!

How can readers find and purchase your art?

My work can be viewed at my website: www.wolfesculpture.com,
email: info[at]wolfesculpture.com.

Josh Garrick is the Florida Arts Editor for Wandering Educators

All photos courtesy and copyright john Robert Wolfe