In 1991, ARTnews described John Torreano's career as "a single-minded investigation of the properties of real and fake gemstones." With an oeuvre that encompasses wall reliefs, paintings, custom-made furniture, and handblown glass vases, Torreano, who holds a black belt in judo and performs stand-up comedy, is as multifaceted as are his jeweled creations. He reflected in the 1991 article that "comedy, judo, and art have things in common: an incredible formal discipline, but also moments of complete spontaneity." Torreano gained his formal training at the Cranbrook Academy of Art outside of Detroit, Michigan, and began his career as an abstract still-life painter. Gradually he moved toward further abstraction until the work transformed into his distinctive mixed-media creations composed of paint, fake gemstones, and other materials.

Abe Frajndlich (born 1946)
Cibachrome print, circa 1990
Published February 1991
Abe Frajndlich
©Abe Frajndlich