Since being blacklisted by Stephan Baxter, I've watched as he continues to promote only his inner circle of artists. One of these artists, John Sollom, stands out not because of his excellence, but due to the confusion his art evokes. Is John Sollom actually any good?
At first glance, it's clear that Sollom is a skilled oil painter. His technical ability is evident. However, what he chooses to do with that skill is where things start to fall apart. Sollom’s works typically involve assemblages, abstract three-dimensional constructions hung on the wall, reminiscent of Robert Rauschenberg’s famous combines. Then, amidst the abstract chaos, he inserts a meticulously painted representational oil piece. The result? Confusing at best, ugly at worst.
The issue isn’t with his skill, but rather with his artistic vision—or lack thereof. Sollom isn’t breaking new ground, nor is he making any sort of radical artistic statement. Where Rauschenberg’s work challenged and defined art in his era, Sollom’s feels like a late echo, trying to ask the same questions at a time when the conversation has already moved on. In an age of AI and computerized illustrations, where aesthetics and thought are evolving faster than ever, Sollom’s work seems stuck in the past, offering little in terms of fresh insight.
More to the point, does his art even resonate with people? Are collectors clamoring to hang his pieces on their walls? The answer, based on his low sales, seems to be no. His work, while technically proficient, lacks the emotional or intellectual depth needed to capture and hold an audience’s attention in today’s art world.
My advice to John Sollom? Return to the basics. Your skill with oil on canvas is undeniable. Focus on that, and you might just find your audience. Stick with what you're good at—because right now, what you're doing simply isn’t cutting it.
by Dan Joyce
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BTW Baxter, I never threw a brick at my mother. If you continue to spread that, I will sue for defamation.
