Within our perceived reality there exists a complexity of recurring forms, repetitions, symmetries and structures, many that cannot be observed by the human eye. The art of JJ Cromer delves within the recesses of the imagination to delineate these imperceptible energies, providing the schematics of the artist's own revelations to magnify and uncover a finer, previously invisible anatomy of the mind and interpretation of our world.

With a daily practice spanning the last 25 years, Cromer has worked methodically with ink, colored pencils, and graphite on pieces of paper to develop a rich, formal vocabulary, giving us access to a topographical mapping of subconscious terrains. Woven within this tapestry of mark-making, Cromer honors his passion for history and books by integrating collaged elements sourced from a wide range of old photographs, college yearbooks, vintage postcards, science books from the 50’s and 60’s as well as the artist's own childhood stamp collection. Like the injection of moments from the rational world, collage is an essential component to his process, and a part of every artwork he creates. It's the counterpart to his internal musings, offering the opportunity for strange juxtapositions, accidental narratives and formal surprises, creating a conversation between the external and internal, control and chance. “Discovering what’s around the corner is a big part of my drive to make new work. I like surprises and ambiguity. I like color. I like the accidental smears of glue that dirty up during the making of a piece. I like circles more than squares.”

Growing up in rural Tazewell County, Virginia, JJ Cromer did not set out to become an artist. It was only after a number of years as a librarian, well into adulthood, that Cromer begin to make drawings: “The sudden urge to make art blindsided me, I tapped an obsessive vein…” While his formal studies in history and library science sought order and answers, his artistic endeavors have become a channel for seeking comfort within the realms of ambiguity and mystery. The art of JJ Cromer, then, is a unique synthesis of compulsion, fascination and automatism, with a visual vocabulary that is as elusive as it is specific, driven by a humanistic hope and a deep-seated need to 'speak' through his art.