John Thomas Paradiso is a Washington-based artist who has been exploring the intimacy of gay culture through needlework for over 30 years.
Using hand embroidered quilting techniques, working on surfaces including leather and suede, and using traditional materials like doilies to mask the graphic parts of his subjects, John’s work treads the line between pornography and personal portraiture. His art is unapologetic in its openness and his expressions of the passion of gay love are both sensitive and sensational.
In our NeedleXChange we talk about how John’s artistic career has run alongside the timeline of the HIV pandemic, the value in re-appropriating homophobic slurs, and how his art has defined his own queer identity.
Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Intro
00:01:38 - John’s award-winning piece- The Prince of Pansies
00:07:00 - John’s early photography work
00:10:20 - How John’s work ran alongside the AIDS epidemic
00:13:00 - The current state of HIV & AIDS
00:15:24 - John’s transition into textiles
00:20:24 - The power of pansies
00:22:00 - Reclaiming slurs
00:26:45 - How textiles make graphic work easier to consume
00:28:23 - How John’s subjects come into being
00:30:45 - Why John hand quilts his work
00:34:45 - The challenge of entering into quilt shows
00:42:45 - How John honours his feminine side and strives for masculinity
00:47:45 - Reflecting on his earlier work
00:49:45 - John’s definition of success
00:52:00 - Favourite album
00:53:40 - Favourite book
00:56:11 - Favourite film
01:00:45 - John’s reflections on working in the care sector
Links:
Website: john-paradiso.com/
Instagram: / john_paradiso_artist
About NeedleXChange:
NeedleXChange is a conversation podcast with embroidery and textile artists, exploring their process and practice.
Hosted by Jamie "Mr X Stitch" Chalmers, it is an in-depth showcase of the best needlework artists on the planet.
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