John became involved with the San Francisco Art community in 1999, and began a cooperation with CELLspace, the Boxshop, the Shipyard, Seeman, and other fire, metal, and mechanical artists on projects in San Francisco. His renewed contact with the Art Car community led to the building of Zeno's Paradox, his first permanent art car, and his first creation in a nonfunctional environment. He began constructing an annual series of ArtCars as mobile art pieces for the Burning Man Festival. John is naturally inclined to recycle materials and when his first art car was dismantled he cut it up and recreated it as a giant mobile

His connection with the Burning Man community marked the beginning of his fire creations for the Festival. In 1999, he created Fire Fly an electronically controlled machine, which throws a 20-foot radius of burning steel wool called pyro crack. The Ring of Fire created in 2000 with Sue Glover evolved into the 2001 Chamber of Creation, a flaming three dimensional, 12 foot high, fire ring with a central helix. He has also worked with the Flaming Lotus Girls to craft large fire cannons and sculptures.

John Wilson's work is characterized by whimsy and strength. He has an affinity for salvaged materials that often blends reality and fantasy. He welds steel sculptures and functional pieces incorporating found objects, and includes movement as a significant dimension. His technical skills with materials come from a lifetime of building things, and he has honed the artistic process of working metal from participating in projects at the CELLspace Metal Shop and at the Crucible. He has taught metalworking at CELLspace and at his San Francisco Studio 9i.

John moved to Roanoke, Virginia in 2007 and now lives, works, and displays his art in the building he renovated at 117 Campbell Ave SW in historic, downtown Roanoke.