Scott Johnson
These paintings are a survey of recognizable objects that bloom in the landscape around us. I’ve separated most of these objects from their surroundings, allowing their contexts to evaporate, letting ambiguity fill the empty space. While some of these objects explore the whimsy of once dominant icons dissolving into the mists of memory, others suggest messes that need to be cleaned up, as lessons are learned from past mistakes. The one thing all of these objects have in common is that I am fascinated with them; fascinated with their intricacies, no matter how obsolete, intrigued by their patterns, no matter how troubling.
Up close, the unique personality of an individual can be detected. Upon retreating to observe a large group of people from a distance, individual sentiment will dissolve into the abstract patterns of a crowd. Whether these patterns suggest a street fair, a protest, or a tragic disaster, the negative space surrounding the event offers an absence of context, isolating the brush strokes in a sea of neutral color as if they were a school of fish.
