Curated by Cody VanderKaay
Philadelphia artist James Johnson explores the varied effects that possessions have on individual human consciousness and society as a whole. Singular sculptural objects coalesce with photographic images to form ever-changing constructs.
Johnson’s work encourages the viewer to create and examine personalized narratives of identity, impulse, ownership and self-determination. With motives likened to that of a magician, he continually reveals and conceals his method of operation. In spite of these clever manipulations, the behind-the-scenes accoutrements invert newly formed notions and undo guises. The title piece of the exhibition, I come from a serious place, is a mesmerizing form with a meaningful statement that preys on the mind’s conscious and unconscious capacity to read words. Undeniably beacon-like, it is a point of departure, contextualization and connectivity between artworks, summoning viewers to revive the memory of their own “serious place.”
Embodied in this exhibition is the artist’s inspired ability to take notice of the world around him and a hope that viewers will do the same. His objects and images further reflect the propensity of contemporary artists to develop a practice that is experiential and multivalent. Departing from, or just arriving to, a serious place requires reflection, and perhaps viewers may ask themselves: is this context of place indeterminate — neither past nor future — and will I engage with the present moment?
October 20 – November 18, 2012
Opening Reception:
Saturday, October 20, 6:00pm – 8:00pm
📆 Facebook Event
Artist Talk:
Forgetting is Really Important
Sunday, October 21, 12:00pm
This exhibition is accompanied by a full-color catalogue.