I know, from my training, that drawing is a play of light and dark, of shadow – drawing, ultimately, is the flicker of light on planes. Hence, when I draw, I am sensitive to tonalities, to shades of pale, of dark; ultimately, I follow light, and I create a play of differences, of gradations.
Every figure, and every body, is different; every pose is a different play. This, indeed, is what Christian Johnson captures in his work; this is his tonal game.
From The Red Room’s Facebook page.
At Double Vision, works are arranged, fittingly, as plays, as variating flickers; as the eye moves, trembles, and stops, the shapes collide; slowly, the mind wanders, and the fingers grasp, if but for a moment, the rough arc of the charcoal stub.
I am intrigued by Johnson’s knowledge of bodies, and by his warping of planes. The works are elegant, yet disturbing; the forms are voluptuous, yet spare.
Christian Johnson, Untitled, 2014. Charcoal and Graphite on Paper. 25 x 19 inches. From The Red Room’s Facebook page.
How, indeed, does one create a contradiction? How does one match differences, variations, and textures? How does one capture bodies? If Johnson’s work is any indication, the key is abandon – total, playful artistic abandon.
I felt abandon, too, in that crowd, in that tiny space – that is, I felt the joy of eyes, the reel of minds, the tick of dreams. This, I feel, is the why of art shows; this is why we gather.
I strongly, strongly encourage you to visit Double Vision; it is an absolute treasure. I, for one, will absolutely visit again.
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Check out The Red Room here and here. Johnson’s works will be on view through March 22, 2014.
Comments? Questions? Want to suggest an event? Let me know!
