John Sproul: Here Between There

John Sproul’s Here Between There uses the body to explore opposites—protection vs. exposure, public vs. private, acknowledgment vs. disregard, and conscious vs. subconscious—to understand the fallacy of power and the strength found in vulnerability. 

Sproul’s figures inhabit strange yet familiar spaces—restaurants, stages, public squares, homes, and galleries. These spaces provide the backdrop and context for the figure’s interactions with those around them and, in turn, establish a somewhat ambiguous narrative. Some figures are naked while others are in various states of dress, striking poses and drawing the attention of the other figures in the paintings or the viewer. Although not all are moved or interested, the central figures present themselves unabashedly––for whatever response their actions elicit. Through this process, Sproul seeks to represent the potential to develop an understanding of oneself that draws on the strength gained from a willingness to be open and vulnerable.