Sale on canvas prints! Use code ABCXYZ at checkout for a special discount!

John Linden Art Collections

Shop for artwork from John Linden based on themed collections. Each image may be purchased as a canvas print, framed print, metal print, and more! Every purchase comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Artwork by John Linden

Each image may be purchased as a canvas print, framed print, metal print, and more! Every purchase comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

About John Linden

John Linden John Linden was born in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, during a blizzard on February 8, 1959, subsequently moving away with his family when he was one year old. They would proceed to live in many different States, as well as Praetoria, South Africa, Paris and Rouen, France and London, England.

Upon first arriving in Paris, at the age of nine, young John looked down from his bedroom window at the Hotel Raphael every day, for months, before heading off to school, watching the limousines pull in to the courtyard across the Boulevard, where the Paris Peace Talks were being held to find an end to the Vietnam War. He wondered why a solution was so difficult to achieve, and who these dignitaries were, and why they were so inadequate to the task?

In Rouen, he attended the oldest Lycee still open in France. Lycee Corneille had been the headquarters for the Nazis in Northern France during the Second World War and Nazi stenciled signage remained above many of the classroom doors. This shocked the young adolescent. John started an art group, meeting in an ancient, dusty studio amphitheater in this school that had long ago abandoned teaching art at all, favoring an all-math curriculum. He hung the first art exhibit in years in the hallways of the Lycee. His first one-man show. Several group shows followed.

Linden cut his teeth in some of the great museums and leading-edge galleries of the World, initially guided and chaperoned by his parents, then catching the bug and striking out on his own. He fell in love with art at an early age and began seriously painting at fifteen.

'Art has always been a natural way for me to raise important social and environmental issues as well as a vehicle for purely aesthetic endeavors. Humor is an integral part of my work as well, taking the edge off otherwise grim subject matter. These elements are consistent throughout what, at first glance, may appear to be a widely ranging body of work, encompassing landscapes, portraiture, the human form, found objects, sculpture and abstraction. I invite everyone to play with me and to question everything. With our thoughts, we make the world.'

Occasionally one will uncover a work by John Linden that is purely representational or aesthetic. More typically his forty-five-plus year oeuvre bristles with social/political/spiritual content. And a bit of humor to take some of the 'sting' out of the equation. Linden is a painter and found object sculptor working in a variety of media including oils and acrylics on canvas. The absurdity and frustration of DaDa is dear to his heart and as relevant today as ever. Linden often quips that he is a conceptual artist who thinks he is a painter. And he is an author, too.

'Some of my formative years were spent in apartheid South Africa where my two, three and four year old mind tried to reconcile a fundamental love for all people with the glaring inequities I saw every day. This has profoundly informed my personality and world view, leading me to a compassionate philosophy in which I am compelled to be a part of the positive change I want to see. As I mature, I am drawn more and more to attempting to participate in generating loving energy in order to heal a grieving people and planet.'

The 'Noosphere Series' is a good example of this bent. The large abstract expressionist acrylics on canvas borrow from Jackson Pollock while introducing an element of 'controlled chaos' and reminding us of the theory put forth by Teilhard de Chardin, that all human thought interacts in the 'Noosphere' or ethereal, unseen medium surrounding and enveloping us, created by us all.

More recent paintings once again remind us of areas in which we, as humanity, can do better, including imagery of supertankers, dollar bills and words expressing both shortcomings and signs of hope and encouragement. The 'Occupy' movement is represented as Linden points out the rigged system of fractional reserve lending, the scam that is the Federal Reserve Bank, crony capitalism and the frustration of everyday citizens with the military/prison industrial complex. Linden expresses himself in an often Dylanesque 'Finger Pointing' way, seldom encouraged by galleries more interested in preserving the self-respect of their clientele than challenging them (and us) to create meaningful change for the betterment of all, even if some sacrifice is required. By contrast, a host of International and U.S. collectors appreciate the vision of John Linden, and support him in his endeavors.

'I certainly do not pretend to have the answers. By asking some of the correct questions, I attempt to start a dialogue that may expose the darker sides of 'the system' to a refreshing ray of truth and hope. In our daily lives it is easy to lose sight of both the cleverly concealed corruption around us as well as the intrinsic solution we all carry within.'

Two pieces that were included in the 2012 Annual Juried Art Exhibition at the Live Oak Art Center in Columbus, Texas several years ago were from his 'Prototype' series:

'Blowout Preventer' is a tongue in cheek tip of the hat to British Petroleum and their disastrous attempt at deep sea oil drilling. The company, which now uses the judicially required participation in the cleanup of their mess as a point of pride, advertising their public spirit and good nature, employs a greenwashed symbol and slogan (Beyond Petroleum) to mask the fact that their greedy attempt to save ten million dollars resulted in the worst oil spill in history at a cost of billions to taxpayers and the environment. The rusty automobile transmission housing represents the 'blowout preventer' that failed repeatedly as BP engineers stumbled again and again, trying desperately to stop the flow of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. The Band-Aid is an obvious reference to the inadequate 'solution' which is still suspect to this day.

'Plowboy' refers to industrial farming, largely responsible for the outrageous loss of topsoil, demineralization of farmland and disease and insect epidemics due to mono cropping on a Gargantuan scale. Water issues, genetically modified foods and shocking science fiction scenarios such as Monsanto Corporation and their 'Terminator Seeds' that force farmers to buy new, 'viable' seed from the global giant every year are a few of the issues alluded to in the seemingly funny work of art. The piece also suggests the need for deep-root carbon sequestration to help mitigate Global Warming. And it suggests we shift to organic farming.

Both pieces are minimalist, consisting of two elements. Both are constructed using the inherent properties of each: the Band-Aid on 'Blowout Preventer' is attached only by its own adhesive, the spading fork tines and childhood tricycle of 'Plow Boy' hold together by gravity and friction alone. The ready-made, Dadaist nature of these found objects is unashamedly essential. The title of the series and the rusty nature of the pieces suggest that some ideas just are not ready to move beyond the 'Prototype' stage. Perhaps we should abandon greedy corporate paradigms and find sustainable, life-promoting solutions to our challenges. Linden believes that when we begin to think this way, a cascade of ever-better solutions and scenarios are bound to manifest. He is, at heart, an optimist. But one who believes we must be proactive in our optimism.

'The act of picking up a brush and making a mark on a canvas is, in and of itself, an optimistic statement to the Universe of creative potential, and a belief in an as yet unknown but benevolent outcome. It is an act of bravery and courage.' John Linden

Having participated in well over 130 art exhibits over time, Linden continues to stay 'au courant' vis-a-vis world events and our ongoing need to be part of the changes we want to see.

He has also Ghostwritten, edited and illustrated a four-hundred-thirty-four page historical fiction, 'Missing Picasso,' by Devin Christison (ISBN: 9781718175952 paperback), as well as two books of his own. The latter are available at: www.feedaread.com, written under two 'Noms de Plume,' as follows:

'Hobizal Dome, the sequel' by 'Son of Gerbil' (ISBN: 9781786102713) (also edited, formatted, illustrated, and with cover art by Linden) is a three-hundred-page journey through a dystopian alternative reality. Prepare to cast aside dis-belief and romp through a world where animism, surrealism, sexism, feminism and ruthless capitalism, among other isms, co-exist and invite one to re-evaluate concepts often eschewed in polite company, and impolite company as well, for that matter. Will this voyage of societal self-discovery resolve in a Paradigm shattering, hopeful conclusion, or a devastating demise? Find out for yourself. (Link below.)

https://www.feedaread.com/books/Hobizal-Dome-the-sequel.aspx

'21' by 'C. C. Pipe' (ISBN: 9781839455520) (also edited, formatted, and with cover art by Linden) is a one hundred and sixty-six-page anthology of original erotic short stories. Whether the stories of C.C. Pipe are fiction or fact matters not to most readers. The tales unapologetically depict the adventures of a loving husband in touch with his bisexuality and his hotwife. A wide array of other participants populates the direct, sometimes harsh, depictions of sexuality on the edge. Rest assured; only consenting adults are involved. Over Twenty-one. There is also always a safe word readily at hand, should it be required.

C.C. Pipe never minces words. Other than the 'word of last resort,' there are no safe words in this compilation. The straightforward style is not for everyone. But then again, no work of literature ever is. Even the Classics sometimes leave something missing. And, as the saying goes, it takes different strokes for different folks. Romance sometimes finds its way into the mix but is never saccharine or cloying. Humorous notes pepper the work, as well, however never detract from the hard-core nature of the oeuvre, and the visceral intention of each story.

As the reader progresses through the compendium, characters enjoyed in previous chapters will oft reappear and help make possibly unusual events a bit more familiar, as though an old friend were guiding us on a journey of discovery. Some have compared the erotic writings of C.C. Pipe to a trip master leading us through a psychedelic experience. Prepare to examine your deepest desires, acknowledge your 'lines in the sand,' and explore the fantastic quilt of the human sexual tapestry. And, by all means, enjoy yourself. (Link below.)

https://www.feedaread.com/books/21-9781839455285.aspx

Below are some links to short videos you may enjoy, featuring the artist:
(All are G-rated for general audiences, except where noted)

'Trash: Our Kids!' an interactive art installation by 'The AlterGirls!'
Featuring John Linden and Alicia Duplan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2MHUVZl2zo

'Pop-up Art Open House - 2014' - by Amy Lynch Kolflat, Zebra Realtor - Featuring John Linden
https://vimeo.com/104813964

'Water Table,' A Kinetic Environmental Sculpture by John Linden, (music by Lou Reed)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEnflXeIqsA

Hobizal Dome, the sequel - A Chapter Reading of 'The LAPD' - Featuring John Linden
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7fgN-ywrAQ (contains adult fine art content)

Hobizal Dome, the sequel - A Chapter Reading of 'The Protocol' - Featuring John Linden
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YQmnLsU_94