Howard-Potter grew up in New York City where he was inspired by the public sculpture of Alexander Calder, George Ricky and various performance, dance, and artistic exposure. He earned a BA in Art History and Sculpture from Union College and has been making and displaying his original sculpture since 1997.
After college, Howard-Potter moved to Colorado and worked with a blacksmith creating furniture and learning about the properties of steel, the medium that he would eventually use to create his art. Howard-Potter also gained the skills to convey a heightened sense of fluidity in solid steel while learning about the commercial practices of metalworking.
In 2021 Howard-Potter made his largest and most daring sculpture to date, The 1958 Championship Game for the NFL Hall of Fame, in Canton Ohio. Standing 30 feet tall and seemingly defying gravity the monumental figure of diving foot ballplayer, Raymond Berry, made out of six thousand pounds of steel, covered in a galvanized and powder coated silver skin took 8 months to complete and represents a major success in Mr. Howard-Potter’s career.
Jack has permanent and long-term displays in sculpture parks, municipalities and galleries across the country including Marco Island and Coral Springs, Florida; Suwanee and Sandy Springs Georgia; Pemberton, New Jersey; Salem, New York; Fayetteville, North Carolina; Roanoke, Virginia; Glenwood Springs, Colorado; Flossmoor and Chicago, Illinois and Blaine, Washington.
Howard-Potter resides in New York City with his wife, Erica, daughter, Skylar and son, Lyndon. He is a board member of The Art Students League and Scripps Howard Foundation. He has maintained a studio in Long Island City Queens since 2006.
Artist’s Statement
I try to capture movement in a medium that does not move. Using steel which is an inherently rigid material I work to convey a sense of fluid action in space. My work explores the wide range of movement of the human figure informed through my study of drawing the human anatomy. My sculptures seek to convey the motion of the body in extremely stressful and beautiful positions; the moment that a dancer is at the peak of a jump, the weightless split second before a body succumbs to gravity. I am describing an ephemeral action in steel to convey this moment for eternity. I want the viewer to visualize the actions that led up to a given pose and the actions that will follow it. Using the brightly colored surfaces separates the figures from the landscape, making them stand out in much the same way people do when they wear clothes. The brilliant colors serve as protection for the steel from the corrosive outdoor environment as well as adding excitement to the steel to aid in the sense of movement. The work explores the range of possibilities and flexibility of the material as well as the subject matter. The display of my work in the outdoor public arena is the perfect place for the inherent academic roots to be brought to every person in an easily recognizable and accessible way, bridging the gap between the intimidating gallery or fine art institution and the general public.