About

Short Bio

Hudson has been creating large scale public sculpture throughout the States and around the world since 1976.

Statement

I have been creating large-scale sculpture projects for public & other environments since 1976, with my first % for Art commission in 1979, through Miami Metro/Dade, for Homestead Public Library.  Since then, I have created dozens of such projects throughout the States, in 27 other countries around the world, with 24 throughout China alone.  My sculpture projects tend to be abstract, often geometric in one way or another. 
Certain projects might have more literal or figurative aspects, such as my ETRUSCAN MAENAD series.  The stone sculptures tend to be a balance of natural aspects with human interventions.  My sculpture may be seen as iconic for the most part, or symbolic, very often referencing a center, whether actual or spatial.   It often works with balance; space in contrast with form; implied space; ambiguity if incorporating mirror surfaces; light and darkness; a continuum or movement & flow, such as a vortex.  I always thoroughly research a given project & create a sculpture that speaks to the pertinent characteristics of the situation, whether cultural or environmental.
             
 

Biography

                        Hudson was born in Billings, MT to a hydro-geologist Father and writer Mother.   His first five years were in the environment of Casper, WY. Not too long after moving to Yellow Springs, OH the family moved to Saudi Arabia for three years, where Father was working for ARAMCO.  This began Jon’s youth, living all around the world, experiencing different cultures and environments such as: the Saudi desert; Petra; Jerash; the Mediterranean; Baalbek; the Acropolis; the Colosseum; Machu Picchu; Stonehenge and others.  Following high school graduation from a school in France, Jon attended Urbana College studying liberal arts, where he started painting, which in turn led him to transfer to the Dayton Art Institute. While there he studied with sculptor Charles Ginnever.  He then went to Senegal where he worked for six months, transitioning on to Stuttgart, Germany, where he was enrolled in the State Kunst Akademy for six months.   Following a near fatal motorcycle accident below Solitude, he returned to the States and worked for a year as an assistant to Chuck Ginnever at his New York and his Putney, VT studios. 

 

                        In the spring of 1970 friends of Ginnever, Alan Kaprow and Paul Brach, were helping set up the art department at the newly forming California Institute of the Arts, the first

year being in Burbank. Jon attended Cal-Arts from autumn 70 to summer 72: BFA-1971, MFA-

1972.  He was a sculpture teaching assistant the second year and also learned Taiji Chuan from Marshall Ho’o in the theatre dept.  While there he made friends with a chap who was helping

start up a gold mine outside of Paradise, CA.  Following graduation, he worked there for two years, making mechanical equipment for the mine: two trammers, shaker screen, log splitter, and other equipment.  Jon then moved to Roswell, NM, for a period of sculpting, then returned

to Yellow Springs, OH.  He taught sculpture and design at Wright State Univ. and then a year

teaching at Stephens College, in Columbia, MO.  While there he received his first official commission for a couple of exterior sculptures.   His first % for art commission was with

Miami/Dade in Florida in 1979: a mirror stainless steel sculpture for the Homestead Public Library.  Since that time, he has been creating large-scale public sculptures throughout the

States, and in 27 other countries: 24 in China alone.  One of the more important large-scale projects was being commissioned by Creative Director John Truscott, for World Expo 1988, Brisbane, Australia, to create two very large-scale, stainless steel sculptures. The smaller one at 15 ft. dia. is MORNING STAR II, now installed in the Brisbane Botanical Gardens. The other is

PARADIGM, at 100 ft. high, with 66 airplane lights for nigh-time display.  Another such project was the commission of WIND DRAGON:BEIJING, for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, installed in

Chaoyang Park. 

                       

Resume / CV

Hudson, J.B. CV 3pg.21..doc