John had David as Vincent had Theo
Sandy Kinnee
September 2021
My wife, Gale Murray, is the chair of the art department at Colorado College. She received a preview link to the film, John Wilcox The Relinquishment of Time that tells the story of a 1977 graduate, his life, death, and what his younger brother has done to preserve his older brother’s legacy.
I now know John Wilcox. John’s brother has created a memory and preserved as much a legacy of which any artist might only dream.
I did not know John Wilcox, even though I likely met him while he was a student. I do know he was a student of the late Jim Trissel. He probably had classes with Mary Chenoweth and Bernard Arnest, both also long gone.
What faces those of us who make things is similar to those who accumulate what we make. What does one do with the remnants, the residue of a creative life? David Wilcox has beautifully answered that question for John. David has done what Theo did for Vincent; granted John’s work an after-life.
David has done it up right. The video is a total gem, beautiful in every detail. The full team behind the video and those onscreen gave us as full a picture of a human and an artist as possible in an hour. The old footage of John was smartly put to good use. It was fortunate those tapes were available. The editing of the interviews, crisp details of John’s art, even use of drone footage were spot on. John Wilcox’s artwork deserves all the visibility you can build for it.
Not only was the video superb, the use of social media, general PR, and placement of John’s artworks with cultural entities is as good as I have ever seen. Again, I hope this will generate a larger audience for John’s work.
I only wish I could afford the services of the folks that David Wilcox tasked with celebrating John’s life and work.
“Although we never got the opportunity to meet John, we feel like we can sense his presence through his work. The sound of his voice echoes in our thoughts as we recall quotes from the recordings he left behind, which continue to provide us with valuable lessons.”
“Above all, John has modeled bravery and authenticity for us. He came to terms with being gay in rural Texas, he developed a serious art practice in a competitive field, he lived through the AIDS epidemic in NYC, and he was afflicted with serious medical conditions that brought his life to an early end. Despite it all, he never gave up on being himself, never wavered at pursuing the things he was passionate about – something we can all learn from.”
— from the filmmakers Sarah Reyes and Daniel Driensky
John Wilcox The Relinquishment of Time recently won Best Texas Documentary at the Texas Hill Country Film Festival. Local screenings can be set up. The film will also air on PBS later this year.
For more information about the film visit:
And to learn more about the art of John Wilcox visit:
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