Artist Statement

John Knell makes art to help others.

A "visual ruckus maker" is how he likes to describe himself as he wears many creative hats and hates being labeled with anything too specific.

Collage artist, illustrator, digital content creator, photographer, graphic designer, entrepreneur and writer are all areas of creative focus. John's goal is to skillfully weave those complimentary disciplines into unique works of complexity, creativity and thoughtful storytelling. He does this by harvesting his own artistic inspirations, along with culturally significant American motifs, to build interesting and engaging visual discussions with his audience. 

Focus of John's work is the exploration of the interconnected relationships between texture, color and line. Particular emphasis is on how they co-exist in visual space and their complex interplay with each other. Ultimately it's the strength of these many connected interactions that propel the art forward and help to communicate the vision in the process. 

John states that: "When I am doing my best work I am working with joy and passion from my own heart. As an artist I always want to translate what I am feeling and movie it directly to my audience. I want them to participate in that process with me. If I can also bring something new to the table that causes a deeper change, whether it be through an idea, a fresh take/approach to my craft or a moment of inspiring beauty, then I have done my job." 

Kansas City regional expressions, portrait art, digital collage, pop culture references and heartland landscapes are all areas of focus.