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John Weiss, an only child, was born in 1946 in Naudhausen, Germany as Hans-Ulrich Weiss. He has also used the pseudonym of Dr. Perv. He was raised in Naudhausen until 1951, Ottawa from 1951 to 1954, and Toronto, Ontario from 1954 onwards.

In Toronto, he transferred from Lawrence Park High School to Northern Secondary, where he earned a commercial art diploma in addition to a Grade 12 high school diploma. From 1966 to 1970, he studied fine art and art history at the Ontario College of Art (OCA; now the Ontario College of Art and Design), graduating as an Associate (A. O. C. A.). In the summer of 1970, he taught a studio course at Dundurn Castle in Hamilton, Ontario. From the fall of 1970 to the summer of 1971, he lived in Hamilton, where he earned an Ontario Teaching Certificate from Hamilton Teacher's College. He took the three stages of becoming a visual art specialist through the Ontario College of Teachers in 1972, 1973, and 2001, after which he taught visual art specialists how to become supervisors. He moved to North Bay, Ontario in 1971, where he was an art teacher for grades 6, 7 and 8 at W. J. Fricker Senior Public School from 1971 to 2001.

Solo exhibitions of his work include: A Happy Rubber is a Full Rubber (2006, Mudshark, North Bay, Ontario), Outtah Dah Rubic Cube (2006, W. K. P. Kennedy Gallery), New York, New York (Miner's Hall, Rossland, British Columbia), Classic Greek Scrap Book (2004, Bar 501, Toronto, Ontario), Performance Art-Body Painting (2004, La Drague Bar, Quebec City), Primeval Arousal (2002, Zsa Zsa, Toronto, Ontario) Primeval Arousal (2001, White Water Gallery), Kosmic-A-Go-Go (1998, White Water Gallery, North Bay, Ontario), Justify Your Love Safely (1991, White Water Gallery, North Bay, Ontario), Gallery Artists (1991, White Water Gallery, North Bay, Ontario) and The Big Picture (1991, White Water Gallery, North Bay, Ontario). The group exhibition 'Accumulation' (2004, curated by Lise Melhorn-Boe with featured artists Allan Hirsh, Betty Sager, and John Weiss) was the opening exhibition for the new location of White Water Gallery at 147 Worthington Street.

He is the curator of art in Delmar Restaurant and the Swiss Pastry Chef in North Bay.

(The biographical information featured here was written in consultation with the artist in 2006.)

Interview:

To sit down with John Weiss for 90 minutes is to witness non-stop commentary on astrology, reincarnation, animism, human evolution, religion and many other subjects. This artist gets his energy from ice cream and 'killer coffee'. He says, "I've literally gone seven days without sleep," adding, "I'm too hyper for most people already and this is only my first cup of coffee."

His art is equally animated. A black and white drawing for his exhibition, Kosmic A Go Go-which features creatures, apartment buildings and other forms wrapping around one another-pulses with energy. His paintings incorporate colours that he likens to acid rain and feature symbols like a devil with a paintbrush (which recalls Weiss' description of himself as a "dangerous creature"). His exhibitions generate a vibrant atmosphere; for example, Primeval Arousal included a martini bar, tribal music and incense. His boundless energy causes him to bring new life to pieces, changing them over time, such as a painting that was in Art in Public Places but is now in Jaeger Meisters restaurant. "It's never done yet," he explains.

In addition to exhibiting in Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Vancouver, Weiss has exhibited at every White Water Gallery location except its first one above Mayne Travel. He moved to North Bay 34 years after completing studies in fine art and art history at the Ontario College of Art and Design. Upon arriving in North Bay, he began a 30-year arts teaching career at W. J. Fricker Senior Public. He also worked as a supervisor for art teachers. He was a favourite among students, who especially looked forward to his creative Hallowe'en costumes like Meatloaf and Lord of the Rings (the latter included an actual pig's head).

Now that he is retired, Weiss says, "The teacher is dead. The artist is reborn. The artist is alive and well." No longer in the public eye, or at least not to the same extent, he feels liberated to explore homoerotic subject matter. In the past, he has helped with public awareness campaigns for safe sex, and his present interest is in demystifying stereotypes about gay culture.

Weiss was most recently seen in the 3-B Fashion Show at the W. K. P. Kennedy Gallery in the role of Barbarella's saviour from the killer dolls. He was accompanied by his boyfriend, artist Jesse Inkol from Windsor, who was the golden angel. Watch for more creative endeavours, because-to quote Weiss-"Ya never know what's gonna hit ya in the face next."

(Interview with Heather Saunders, published in May/June 2005 White Water Gallery newsletter)

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John Weiss
2006

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John Weiss, Primeval Arousal (installation view)
2001
White Water Gallery, North Bay, Ontario, Canada

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John Weiss, Opening reception for Primeval Arousal
2001
White Water Gallery, North Bay, Ontario, Canada

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John Weiss, Illustrations for Accumulation (three-person exhibition, White Water Gallery)
2003