IF NOT NOW THEN WHEN

JOHN ISAACS

If Not Now Then When is a personal meditation on the physical memory of the body as its own landscape, as a place of inner emotional conflict, and not merely a depiction of obesity. As in the Picture of Dorian Gray—in which the painting ages and absorbs all the evil deeds of its sitter—this object can be seen as a kind of sponge. The heroic, somewhat classical, pose is absurdly contrasted against its physical form. This fictional and anonymous figure is a monument, a mirror to our current historical moment in which we confront everyday the side effects of our over consumption, waste and pollution, but are virtually powerless to change our course. This figure could well be a future monument to our own apathy and concealed guilt. Certainly it is a scapegoat.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

John Isaacs’ work encompasses many different media, though much of it has origins in sculpture. The artist continually redefines his style, moving seamlessly through installation, sculpture, photography, film, painting and drawing. John Isaacs has exhibited extensively internationally, including at Young British Artists 6, Saatchi Gallery, Hayward Gallery, and at Tate Modern, London.