Kysa Johnson
Encyclopedia
Kysa Johnson is a modern painter, drawing from scientific sources and theories, such as string theory
and the mapping of the subatomic decay of particles. She was born in Evanston, Illinois
in 1974, schooled in Glasgow
, Scotland
,and is currently a resident of Brooklyn, NY. She has exhibited regularly in both the US and the UK.
In the fall of 2004, Kysa Johnson had a solo exhibition with the National Academy of Sciences
in Washington, DC. Her work is on permanent display at the Empire State Building
( in 2000 she was commissioned to create a permanent installation of six paintings for the concourse level in The Empire State Building). She has exhibited in, amongst other venues, the Royal Scottish Academy
in Edinburgh, the Glasgow School of Art
and the Muhlenberg College
.
In a series of her works, Johnson combines art historical references to paintings of the Immaculate Conception with the drawn forms of bacteria and other life forms that reproduce asexually. In some of these works Johnson used El Greco
's paintings of the Immaculate Conception
as the compositional framework for some of her works. According to Helen A. Harrison "the images are both literal and metaphoric -- clever, subversive conflations of the biblical and the biological" -- "stare at them for a while, and the El Greco underpinnings emerge".
In the Spring of 2007, Johnson had a solo exhibition at The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum
in Ridgefield, CT. The work for this exhibition was based on the molecular structure of the environmental pollutants ethane
, methane
, benzene
, propane
, and acrolein
. These structures were patterned into compositions based on Hudson River School Landscape Paintings. Harry Philbrick, the director of the Aldrich Museum, writes, " The link between these two views—one historical, one contemporary; one macro, one micro; one rooted in art history, one rooted in environmental history—is the patterning Johnson discerns in nature and art. Earlier paintings linked art historical images of Immaculate Conception (think Mary begetting Jesus) with scientific examples of Immaculate Conception (think asexually reproducing yeast or asexually reproducing bacteria). The microscopic image of the latter was patterned to produce an image of the former. So with microscopic views of benzene does Johnson build an image of the Delaware.
For Johnson, drawing has always been a means to explore our surroundings and to try to come
to understand the world around us in a deeper way – scientifically, emotionally, and intellectually.
In email correspondence with the author she states, “my work has always been about patterns in nature.... the "landscapes" of the microcosmic and macrocosmic.”
It is this natural affinity to viewing nature either through a microscope or a painting which allows Johnson to see with her naked eye that which we often miss – the inherent complexity of our ecosystem. By this I mean more than just the complex natural phenomena at play in the Delaware River, but also the psychological, cultural, and historical overlay which is part of the landscape. We create stories about nature and they inform our view of landscape. Nature creates stories about us in the landscape as well; written in methane and propane and there for the reading, if only you choose to look."
Johnson has been awarded with the NYFA (New York Foundation for the Arts) fellowship of 2003 and with the Emmy Sachs Prize.
Link to Exhibition at the Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art
String theory
String theory is an active research framework in particle physics that attempts to reconcile quantum mechanics and general relativity. It is a contender for a theory of everything , a manner of describing the known fundamental forces and matter in a mathematically complete system...
and the mapping of the subatomic decay of particles. She was born in Evanston, Illinois
Evanston, Illinois
Evanston is a suburban municipality in Cook County, Illinois 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, bordering Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, and Wilmette to the north, with an estimated population of 74,360 as of 2003. It is one of the North Shore communities that adjoin Lake Michigan...
in 1974, schooled in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
,and is currently a resident of Brooklyn, NY. She has exhibited regularly in both the US and the UK.
In the fall of 2004, Kysa Johnson had a solo exhibition with the National Academy of Sciences
United States National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
in Washington, DC. Her work is on permanent display at the Empire State Building
Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is a 102-story landmark skyscraper and American cultural icon in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet , and with its antenna spire included, it stands a total of 1,454 ft high. Its name is derived...
( in 2000 she was commissioned to create a permanent installation of six paintings for the concourse level in The Empire State Building). She has exhibited in, amongst other venues, the Royal Scottish Academy
Royal Scottish Academy
The Royal Scottish Academy is a Scottish organisation that promotes contemporary Scottish art. Founded in 1826, as the Royal Institution for the Encouragement of the Fine Arts, the RSA maintains a unique position in Scotland as an independently funded institution led by eminent artists and...
in Edinburgh, the Glasgow School of Art
Glasgow School of Art
Glasgow School of Art is one of only two independent art schools in Scotland, situated in the Garnethill area of Glasgow.-History:It was founded in 1845 as the Glasgow Government School of Design. In 1853, it changed its name to The Glasgow School of Art. Initially it was located at 12 Ingram...
and the Muhlenberg College
Muhlenberg College
Muhlenberg College is a private liberal arts college located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1848, Muhlenberg is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and is named for Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, the patriarch of the Lutheran Church in America.- History...
.
In a series of her works, Johnson combines art historical references to paintings of the Immaculate Conception with the drawn forms of bacteria and other life forms that reproduce asexually. In some of these works Johnson used El Greco
El Greco
El Greco was a painter, sculptor and architect of the Spanish Renaissance. "El Greco" was a nickname, a reference to his ethnic Greek origin, and the artist normally signed his paintings with his full birth name in Greek letters, Δομήνικος Θεοτοκόπουλος .El Greco was born on Crete, which was at...
's paintings of the Immaculate Conception
Immaculate Conception
The Immaculate Conception of Mary is a dogma of the Roman Catholic Church, according to which the Virgin Mary was conceived without any stain of original sin. It is one of the four dogmata in Roman Catholic Mariology...
as the compositional framework for some of her works. According to Helen A. Harrison "the images are both literal and metaphoric -- clever, subversive conflations of the biblical and the biological" -- "stare at them for a while, and the El Greco underpinnings emerge".
In the Spring of 2007, Johnson had a solo exhibition at The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum
The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum
The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum is located in Ridgefield, Connecticut, USA. The Aldrich has no permanent collection. It is one of the United States's leading contemporary art galleries and special exhibition spaces . The museum is an international leader in museum education .The Aldrich was...
in Ridgefield, CT. The work for this exhibition was based on the molecular structure of the environmental pollutants ethane
Ethane
Ethane is a chemical compound with chemical formula C2H6. It is the only two-carbon alkane that is an aliphatic hydrocarbon. At standard temperature and pressure, ethane is a colorless, odorless gas....
, methane
Methane
Methane is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . It is the simplest alkane, the principal component of natural gas, and probably the most abundant organic compound on earth. The relative abundance of methane makes it an attractive fuel...
, benzene
Benzene
Benzene is an organic chemical compound. It is composed of 6 carbon atoms in a ring, with 1 hydrogen atom attached to each carbon atom, with the molecular formula C6H6....
, propane
Propane
Propane is a three-carbon alkane with the molecular formula , normally a gas, but compressible to a transportable liquid. A by-product of natural gas processing and petroleum refining, it is commonly used as a fuel for engines, oxy-gas torches, barbecues, portable stoves, and residential central...
, and acrolein
Acrolein
Acrolein is the simplest unsaturated aldehyde. It is produced widely but is most often immediately reacted with other products due to its instability and toxicity...
. These structures were patterned into compositions based on Hudson River School Landscape Paintings. Harry Philbrick, the director of the Aldrich Museum, writes, " The link between these two views—one historical, one contemporary; one macro, one micro; one rooted in art history, one rooted in environmental history—is the patterning Johnson discerns in nature and art. Earlier paintings linked art historical images of Immaculate Conception (think Mary begetting Jesus) with scientific examples of Immaculate Conception (think asexually reproducing yeast or asexually reproducing bacteria). The microscopic image of the latter was patterned to produce an image of the former. So with microscopic views of benzene does Johnson build an image of the Delaware.
For Johnson, drawing has always been a means to explore our surroundings and to try to come
to understand the world around us in a deeper way – scientifically, emotionally, and intellectually.
In email correspondence with the author she states, “my work has always been about patterns in nature.... the "landscapes" of the microcosmic and macrocosmic.”
It is this natural affinity to viewing nature either through a microscope or a painting which allows Johnson to see with her naked eye that which we often miss – the inherent complexity of our ecosystem. By this I mean more than just the complex natural phenomena at play in the Delaware River, but also the psychological, cultural, and historical overlay which is part of the landscape. We create stories about nature and they inform our view of landscape. Nature creates stories about us in the landscape as well; written in methane and propane and there for the reading, if only you choose to look."
Johnson has been awarded with the NYFA (New York Foundation for the Arts) fellowship of 2003 and with the Emmy Sachs Prize.
External links
Link to Exhibition at the Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art
- http://aldrichart.org/exhibitions/past/johnson.php