Biographical Information::
John Fender has taught graphic design since 1995 and has been on the faculty of Drake University since 1999. He is head of the graphic design program and acts as the Design Director for the Anderson Gallery.

Professor Fender holds an MFA, an MA, and a BFA degree, all from the University of Iowa.

Statement::
My work attempts to create a location, where there is no content, only a construct formed through interpretation. The work is in essence an un-constructed narrative. I present ideas, objects, places or people as component factual elements and symbols, then place these artifacts into a context that forces one to create a relationship.

I see art as an activity of inquiry, existing in an intangible space between social structures and the individual. Its purpose is to explore the moral and ethical underpinnings of our culture. In my art, I attempt to create situations that force an individual to question the assumptions one must make in order to achieve understanding.