John Thornton
“As a child, I read a book on the mind that declared, ‘Talent does what it can, Genius does what it must!” Now at 67, I agree with Elwood P. Dowd of the film ‘Harvey’ and recommend being pleasant over being smart.”
John Thornton is a filmmaker, who for the past 12 years has been making movies primarily about Philadelphia connected artists for his YouTube channel. He graduated from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in 1980 and was a painter before he began making films.
The subject of his films IS art, and his main interest always is how a creator's life and work intersect. To John, art is like a religion, and he feels called to be an evangelist for Philadelphia connected art. He believes that art can be a salvation for people, both the viewers and the makers.
What did genius mean to you as a child?
“As a kid, my twin brother and I were very interested in being considered "smart". We romanticized the idea of intelligence after reading in a Time-Life book on the mind, "Talent does what it can, Genius does what it must!". But now, at 67, I agree with Elwood P. Dowd of the film "Harvey" and recommend being pleasant over being smart.”
where do art and your discipline meet?
“The subject of my films IS art, and my main interest, always, is how a creator's life and work intersect. Art to me is like a religion, and I feel called to be an evangelist for Philadelphia connected art.”
Biography:
My name is John Thornton. For the past 12 years I have been making movies, mostly about Philadelphia connected artists, for my youtube channel. Before that I was a painter who graduated from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in 1980. I believe that art can be a salvation for people, both the viewers and the makers.