John James Pron
past/PRESENT/future: my life and my city
Mixed media collage has been a precise and lifelong fit for me...as an architect, a university teacher, an artist, and a human being. Deeply rooted in my DNA is a fascination with the dynamics of opposites, such as a deep appreciation of all things past, yet excitedly anticipating the changes of the future. It’s a penchant to see both sides of an argument. It’s a ‘both/and’ philosophy of life rather than an ‘either/or’. And it dominates my aesthetic choices, my political stances, my social and ethical commitments and personal relationships…just about everything about me. Through my long career in architecture, I have specialized in the strategy of Adaptive Reuse (preserving the aesthetic ‘soul’ of an existing building-or neighborhood or city- while counterpointing the needed changes to adapt it to contemporary lifestyles). It makes for dynamic visual relationships, by NOT smoothly blending in. Having it both ways.
In each of these displayed works, the past component might be an archival photo of old Philadelphia or a lithograph of 17th century Rome while adjacent to them, I render its projected future. I may reappropriate fragments of my earlier, unsold collages -‘RE-recycling’ may be the correct term. Original ink drawings might now be colorized. Older renderings may now be sliced apart. But each item exhibited here is meant to portray parts of my imagined world where each constituent fragment maintains its own distinctive identity but, together, they all form a vibrant new whole. This strategy makes for the most culturally enriched cities, the most vibrant neighborhoods, the most diverse yet supportive communities, and the most fulfilling human lives. Respecting individual diversity, while creating a larger unity. ‘past/PRESENT/future’.
John James Pron Resume
John James Pron's solo exhibition will be presented March 11 - April 5, 2026.
My Own Milky Way, mixed media collage and rendered drawing, 14" x 14" Available
Viet Nam New Jersey, mixed media collage and rendered drawing, 14" x 14" Available
Wise Owl Surprises Lone Wolf, mixed media collage and rendered drawing, 14" x 14" Available
Ahhh... Italian Womanhood, mixed media collage and rendered drawing, 19" x 19" Available
Ain't No Heaven Up Here!, mixed media collage and rendered drawing, 14" x 14" Available
Look Around... There Is Hell Way Down There, mixed media collage and rendered drawing, 19" x 19" Available
Life's Luggage: A Flying Carpet and a Sharpened Pencil, mixed media collage and rendered drawing, 14" x 14" Available
When Architecture Students Flunk, mixed media collage and rendered drawing, 19" x 19" Available
My Ashtray, mixed media collage and rendered drawing, 14" x 14" Available
From the Archive to the Dumpster, mixed media collage and rendered drawing, 14" x 14" Available
Sanctuary City 1683: Lenape Trails and Quaker Grids, mixed media collage and rendered drawing, 19" x 19" Available
Mural Arts: But Doesn't All Paint Peel?, mixed media collage and rendered drawing, 14" x 14" Available
PAFA - School No Mo', mixed media collage and rendered drawing, 14" x 14" Available
Oh, Give Me a Home..., mixed media collage and rendered drawing, 14" x 14" Available
Lesson: How Not to Gentrify, mixed media collage and rendered drawing, 14" x 14" Available
Go Iggles! Festina Demetrius!, mixed media collage and rendered drawing, 14" x 14" Available
Sanctuary City 2026: Crossing the Rio Schuylkill, mixed media collage and rendered drawing, 19" x 19" SOLD
July 4th, 2026?, mixed media collage and rendered drawing, 14" x 14" Available
Philly Crush Hour, mixed media collage and rendered drawing, 19" x 19" Available
Hydrating Market Street, mixed media collage and rendered drawing, 14" x 14" Available
***
John James Pron's previous solo exhibition, withDRAW: looking backward to understand moving forward, was on view October 16 - November 10, 2024. A selection of works from that exhibition are currently available at the gallery as indicated below. For inquiries on all other works shown, please Contact Us.
withDRAW Exhibition Video
Virtual Tour & Talk, October 20, 2024
Penn (re) Treat(y) Park, ink and graphite collage, 17" x 17"
Dam(n) the Cohocksink Creek, ink and graphite collage, 17" x 17"
Madonna and Child, ink and graphite collage, 17" x 17" Available
Escape, ink and graphite collage, 17" x 17"
Alley Rats, ink and graphite collage, 17" x 17" SOLD
Omnipresent Church Life, ink and graphite collage, 17" x 17" Available
Scrounging for Heat, ink and graphite collage, 17" x 17" SOLD
Market Day, ink and graphite collage, 17" x 17" Available
Stoop Sitting, ink and graphite collage, 17" x 17"
First Birthday Party, ink and graphite collage, 17" x 17"
Grandfathers, ink and graphite collage, 17" x 17"
147 West Laurel Street, ink and graphite collage, 17" x 17"
Architect, ink and graphite collage, 17" x 17" Available
Nerd, ink and graphite collage, 17" x 17" SOLD
Roman Candles, ink and graphite collage, 17" x 17"
No Mo' Libs, ink and graphite collage, 17" x 17" SOLD
Amerika Icon, ink and graphite with gold leaf collage, 10" x 10" SOLD
Maternal Grandpa Icon, ink and graphite with gold leaf collage, 10" x 10"
Maternal Grandma Icon, ink and graphite with gold leaf collage, 10" x 10"
Ukrainian Uncle Icon, ink and graphite with gold leaf collage, 10" x 10"
Ukrainian Aunt Icon, ink and graphite with gold leaf collage, 10" x 10"
Bride and Flower Girl Sisters Icon, ink and graphite with gold leaf collage, 10" x 10" SOLD
Paternal Grandpa Icon, ink and graphite with gold leaf collage, 10" x 10"
Paternal Grandma Icon, ink and graphite with gold leaf collage, 10" x 10"
Pop Fighting Nazis Icon, ink and graphite with gold leaf collage, 10" x 10" SOLD
***
John James Pron's previous solo exhibition was held July 5 - 30, 2023. A selection of his works is currently available at the gallery as indicated below. For inquiries on all other works shown, please Contact Us.
Cerulean Arts Collective Virtual Tour & Talk - July 19, 2023
John James Pron Exhibition Powerpoint Presentation
Society Hill at High High Tide, collage, 20.5" x 20.5" Available
Phorbidden City #6: Penn Center, mixed media collage, 21" x 21" Available
The Unseen Wall of Economic Inequality, collage, 20.5" x 20.5"
Paradise Restored, collage, 20.5" x 20.5" SOLD
Sanctuary City, collage, 20.5" x 20.5"
Up Up into the Wild Green Yonder, collage, 20.5" x 20.5"
Their Body? No, MY Body!, collage, 20.5" x 20.5"
The Sudden Eruption of Mt. Covid, collage, 20.5" x 20.5"
A Solar and Wind-Farm Windfall, collage, 20.5" x 20.5"
Neighborhood Gun-venience Store, collage, 20.5" x 20.5"
The Walmart of Opioids, collage, 20.5" x 20.5" SOLD
The Golden Age of Filly, collage, 20.5" x 20.5"
Statue of Limitations, collage, 20.5" x 20.5"
We, the People say ..., collage, 20.5" x 20.5"
Once a Sculler, Now a Surfer, collage, 20.5" x 20.5"
... and Now, Asbestos and Guns, collage, 20.5" x 20.5"
Life Over Death, collage, 20.5" x 20.5"
Block Party Interruptus, collage, 20.5" x 20.5" SOLD
City Hall Wheelie and Donut Sweepstakes, collage, 20.5" x 20.5"
Crack, collage, 20.5" x 20.5"
Reclaiming Shackamaxon, collage, 20.5" x 20.5"
PHILApocalypse #12: Reading Headhouse, mixed media collage, 21" x 21"
Philadelphia Interior Life Series #3: Penn's Original Landing, mixed media collage, 21" x 21"
Philadelphia Interior Life Series #2: Christina's (Dream) World, mixed media collage, 21" x 21" SOLD
Baghdad Christmas #2, mixed media collage, 21" x 21"
John James Pron, Thou Shall Not Sexually Abuse, mixed media collage, 21" x 21"