Aline Smithson - Lenscratch, December 15, 2024
“How do we process grief? How do we visually acknowledge the pain and emptiness of loss? Artist John Hesketh has created a series of light impressions, made on the stucco side of the home that he shared with his wife, in response to her passing. He has taken a process that is ephemeral and gestural and made it into a language that speaks to love, light, and loss..”
Michael Kerchoff - Catalyst: interviews, April 15, 2025
“Hesketh makes art that comes straight from the heart and is an absolute act of love. It is deeply personal and has the ability to resonate with people in a truly genuine way. As an artist, educator, and business owner, he has the thought process and insights that any creative would want to connect with. He is a stand-up figure in my local Southern California community, though his influence and talents transcend far beyond that, and it was a pleasure working with him on this interview. So grab a cup of whatever makes you happy, relax, and enjoy these words and images from a true original.”
Darcy Berg - PhotoMidwest.org, April 21, 2025
“I am so excited for you guys to meet John Hesketh. He is quite a generous artist and an interesting person, and I actually met him because I was taking a class with Marcy Palmer … she showed us some of John's work. I thought to myself, I'm going to contact that guy and find out how he did all that. He was kind enough to respond to me by saying, we should talk.
John Hesketh’s presentation of The Presence of Absence explores loss and the grieving process. The project began in 2012, as Hesketh revisited a stucco wall of a Cinderella house in Anaheim, California, which he shared with his wife and artistic partner, Peggy. Using a flashlight taped to a long stick, he created complex light abstractions on the wall using long exposures to capture the interplay of performance and memory. After Peggy's passing in 2018, John returned to the wall to complete their unfinished conversations by continuing the process.”