John Torreano (b. 1941, Michigan) is an American artist, best known for utilizing faceted gems in a variety of mediums and methods in order to create "movement oriented perception" in his works. Torreano grew up in a large Catholic family and this has influenced his artistic practice; he always uses of jewels serving as a metaphor for vigil lights. Other religious influences appear in his pieces as well while in recent years his paintings have used gems to create space-like constellations. Throughout his career, Torreano has investigated the properties of real and fake gemstones in the differing contexts of lighting, placement and materials. He believes that artists are similar to physicits in their use of theoretical models to gain insight into the physical world. Torreano uses the gem to bring together the world of theory and the world of things. Because gems are a geometric form as well as an object of popular culture, his use of fake gems can become real art by standing in the gap between the two. Torreano argues that humans have a role in fabricating and refining gems, just as the artist fabricates a sculpture. Because of this, Torreano's works can be considered more valuable than real gems because there are fewer of them and they are created by an individual artist, "making art value the highest value". Artist Richard Artschwager described Torreano's works as "paintings that stand still and make you move".
Torreano’s works have been exhibited in several museums and institutions, amog all: Whitney Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, New York, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington DC, the Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis and many others. His series of paintings titled "TV Bulge" were featured in the 1969 Whitney Biennial.