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Shotgun-review- John Colle Rogers

San Francisco Chronicle- John Colle Rogers by Reyhan Harmanci (June 28, 2007)

The Grey Invaders have returned in this full-room diorama featuring two massive armies on the brink of battle with a panopoly of armament ranging from the occult to the futuristic. Set against a chaotic soundtrack, warriors from across the ages take their places in the war to end all wars, marching forward on horseback, driving tanks and filling the Plain of Rogo with dust and smoke. Amongst the impending violence, ever--present Glow-In-The-Dark-Skateboarding-Zombies-From-Mars carve lines and land tricks in the wreckage of past altercations.

John Colle Rogers is a sculptor living and working in Oakland. A graduate of CCAC, he has produced a number of works that satirize our tendency to overexert our will upon others. The Grey Invaders series, begun well before the 9-11 attacks, portrayed the US under siege through dioramas and 2D images. The JohnKo body of work is a hypothetical look at what he would do if the resources of a multi-billion dollar defense company were in his hip pocket, buying and developing museums and art schools in the interest of the great god Live-Work. With his father's history as a Marine Corps Combat Artist during the Vietnam War, Rogers has a peculiar take on the role of the military. In this huge diorama, he introduces the dynamic of play with the Skate-Zombies, a reflection of his avid interest in the pursuit of concrete surfing and an answer to the question, "Which side would you take, or would you just want to skate?"

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