John Kramer moved to Chicago, Illinois from his hometown of St. Louis, Missouri in 1990 to attend the School of the Art Institute of Chicago where he studied sculpture, painting, and performance art. He received a Bachelor of Fine Art in 1993. Kramer did his graduate study at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where he focused on performance, installation, and video, and received a Master of Fine Art degree in 1999. He has shown in U.S. and abroad.
Kramer's work explores social politics in American culture. Issues of acceptance and
alienation are explored and presented in irreverent ways, often referencing art history.
Gimmicks and tricks are given as much credit as the simple, geometric forms which
they often inhabit. Common detritus is glued and taped, stretched and pulled, twisted
and knotted in a highly tactile, transformative process. Serious subject matter manifests
itself in campy disguises with brattish attitude, pushing the boundaries of trust and
allowing for personal "baggage" to guide the viewing experience. Craft is garishly
exposed while repetition and organization suggests a masculine domesticity, exposing
and questioning traditional gender roles. The impermanence of non-traditional materials
used raises questions of value and authenticity, while suggesting a critique of modern,
"throw-away" society. Embedded meanings in the materials offer a primer which helps
decode the narrative.
