Crowded Spaces: Finding Connection in the Crowd

This summer, the UVU Museum of Art has housed a collection of works titled Crowded Spaces: Recent Painting by John Sproul. These paintings, a mix of acrylic and oil, seek to capture an all-too-familiar feeling of disconnection within a community. John Sproul’s work emphasizes the feeling of isolation that a person can experience, even when surrounded by crowds of people.  

A California native who transplanted to Utah for family over 20 years ago, Sproul has a deep, familial connection to art. His father's family was musically inclined, and his great uncle is Eric Larson — one of the original animators for Walt Disney and the hand responsible for iconic classics such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, Fantasia, and Bambi. Many well-known figures trained under Larson’s program, including Tim Burton and Don Bluth.  

“You could say the creativity runs in my family,” said Sproul. “I drew a lot growing up and really enjoyed it.” 
 
Sproul graduated with an associate’s degree in commercial art and graphic design from Utah Valley University (then Utah Valley Community College) prior to transferring to the University of Utah, where he earned a bachelor’s degree, and later a master’s. His education focused on painting and is now one of his main methods of creative expression. His exhibition at the Museum spans over three years of his work — a physical manifestation of his journey of processing the ways we share space as a society.  

“I focus on the anxiety, the fear, and the isolation that is so prevalent today,” Sproul said.  

Each painting depicts individuals and groups in common public settings, based on photographs that Sproul has taken through his travels. Snapshots of a subway in New York City, for example, inspired some of his work. “It’s an interesting place to experience this isolated dynamic,” explained Sproul. “There’s a whole bunch of us in there and yet everyone’s pretending no one else is there.”  

However, Sproul’s work doesn’t just highlight the feeling of disconnect — it serves as a call to the viewer to reflect on the way they interact with the world.  

“There’s a conversation to be had with the viewer in my work,” Sproul said. “I ask the viewer to look and see what my works have to tell them and how that relates to their own experiences, to take the time to slow down and process a connection with the work.” 

 

In encouraging the viewer to spend time with his pieces, Sproul acknowledges that his ask is counter to the speed at which we live our daily lives.  

“I’m just as guilty of it as anyone else these days,” he said with a laugh. “But we lose connection with ourselves and others when we’re just rushing to and from. We lose our sense of value, which propagates all the crazy things you hear about in the world right now.” 

For the average viewer, these deeper conversations with art can feel intimidating. Sproul doesn’t want people to feel discouraged by the pressure to understand his motivations behind each piece. “Don’t worry about what the artist’s intention is,” he encouraged. “Ask yourself questions about the work, what you like and don't like, and why. Go into the space with vulnerability, looking to gain from the experience, and you will most likely learn something about the work, the artist, or yourself.” 

Crowded Spaces will be on view at the UVU Museum of Lakemount through Oct. 18. Patrons are encouraged not only to visit Sproul’s exhibition, but also to explore Healing Waters: Restoring Our Relationship with Utah Lake and participate in art-making activities in the Museum’s Art Haus every Wednesday and every second Saturday of the month. For more information about visiting the Museum, please visit https://www.uvu.edu/museum/plan/.