User:Julian in LA
Eric Johnson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1949 Burbank, California |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Sculpture |
| Movement | Abstract Expressionism |
| Website | ericjohnsonstudio |
Eric Johnson is a contemporary American sculptor.
Inspired by both art and science, Johnson creates composite works of wood, resin and automotive lacquer. The abstract works are sheathed in resin skins, often revealing glimpses of skeletal armatures and hidden architectures. Other influences have been the aerospace industry and his ancestral boat builder heritage.
“Fundamentally, I believe the driving force behind my work lies in my fascination with scale and the exploration of the underlying principles of physics. Through abstracted DNA strands and the study of wavelength patterns, my artwork bears witness to this research."[1]
Much of Johnson's past work was influenced by the Finish Fetish style, which achieves sensuous colors and pristine surfaces by using resins, automotive paint, plastics, and fabrication processes adapted from the industrial world.[2] His work has also been influenced by the Southern California car culture of the postwar era. He made customized car bodies for the Porsche 962 and restored cars of his own, a two-tone 1939 Chevrolet panel truck and a fire-engine-red 1934 Ford pickup truck. “I’ve translated all that automotive knowledge into making my artwork”,” he has said. “I use the full array of auto tools and pigments.”[3]
Early life and education
[edit]Johnson was raised in the San Fernando Valley, some 15 miles from downtown Los Angeles. He attended Los Angeles Valley College, then California Institute of the Arts, and received his Masters of Fine Arts degree from the University of California, Irvine, graduating summa cum laude. After graduation, he became a studio assistant to John Paul Jones, Craig Kauffman, and Tony DeLap[1]
He has lived and worked in San Pedro, California since 1996.[4]
Criticism and commentary
[edit]Art critic Leah Ollman has described Johnson's composite resin and wood sculptures as "sleek and smart", saying that they "curve and blossom, pulse and torque, mimicking the geometries underlying space, time and forms of life", and comparing them to "the distilled shapes of Brancusi" [5]
Solo exhibitions
[edit]Johnson's most recent solo exhibitions were:
- 2023 Madame X, William Turner Gallery, Santa Monica, CA[6]
- 2022 Paul Williams Gallery, Ontario, CA
- 2018 Helex 2, Orange Coast College, Costa Mesa, CA
- 2017 Heart Sequential, SCAPE Gallery, Corona Del Mar, CA
Public and private collections
[edit]Johnson’s work is in many public and private collections,[6] including:
- Oakland Museum of California, Oakland, California;
- Laguna Art Museum, Laguna Beach, California,;
- Lancaster Museum of Art and History, Lancaster, California;
- CBS Broadcasting headquarters, New York City;
- Los Angeles digital production company Digital Domain;
- English artist Mary Barnes;
- actor Leonardo DiCaprio and his father George;
- director James Cameron;
Awards and citations
[edit]- 2009 American Association of Museums[7] Honorable Mention Award for The Maize Project
- 1996 Gottlieb Foundation Individual Support Grant
- 1996 “Artist Beyond Disabilities” 1st Place, Long Beach, CA
- 1988 “Best of Show”, Visual Arts ‘88, Art Institute of Southern California[8]
- 1984 Graduate Study Regents Fellowship, University of California at Irvine
- 1982 California Retired Teachers Associations Awards, Laura E. Settle Scholarship Fund, Irvine, CA
- 1980 Joan Irvine Award, Newport Beach City Arts Commission, Irvine, CA
References
[edit]- ^ a b "ERIC JOHNSON STUDIO". San Pedro, California. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
- ^ Rivenc, Rachel; Richardson, Emma; Learner, Tom (19–23 September 2011). "The LA Look from start to finish: materials, processes and conservation of works by the finish fetish artists" (PDF). Preprints of ICOM-CC 16th Triennial Conference. Retrieved November 21, 2016.
- ^ "ERIC JOHNSON". Corona del Mar, California: SCAPE southern california art projects + exhibitions. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
- ^ Paris, Melina (9 October 2024). "San Pedro's Ranch". Random Lengths News. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
- ^ Ollman, Leah (2 November 2004). "The double helix". Los Angeles Times. p. 67. Retrieved 1 January 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
Johnson's versatility is on impressive display in this selection of his work
- ^ a b
"ERIC JOHNSON: Madame X". Santa Monica, California: William Turner Gallery. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
Utilizing new materials and industrial products, like resin & plastic, artwork of impossibly slick, sleek character began to emerge and was termed 'Finish Fetish.'
- ^ Now the American Alliance of Museums
- ^ Art Institute of Southern California was renamed the Laguna College of Art and Design in 2002.[1] accessed 5 January 2025