Since opening in 2001, J. Johnson Gallery has gleaned a list of artists whose work they greatly admire and have followed for some time. From established international artists Jacob Hashimoto, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Chuck Close to emerging locals such as Zac Freeman and Tonya Lee, Winter Selections presents a collection of the gallery's favorite artists gathered over the past six years.
The dynamic group exhibition features sixteen artists with media varying from painting, photography and printmaking to collage and mixed media works. The exhibition will open with a reception on Friday evening, November 9 from 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Graffiti art and a focus on texture are central components of the exhibition. Four neo-expressionist works by Jean-Michele Basquiat, a key figure in the late twentieth century art world, are included in the grouping. The graffiti artist turned SoHo darling continues to be celebrated for his unique iconography, strong compositions and Afro-Caribbean imagery following his untimely death at the age of twenty-seven.
Street art, bridging the gap between urban graffiti art and contemporary abstract expressionism, also figures prominently in Winter Selections. Canadian artist Shaun Morin, a.k.a. Slomotion, layers together witty and imaginative ensembles of mundane objects and elaborate yet miniscule pen and ink drawings that strive to establish fantastic alternate realities.
"His series of work immediately caught my eye in Miami" says director Bruce Dempsey, who fell for Morin's collages that include glittering water serpents, French stickers and imaginative illustrations at an Art Basel spin-off fair.
At the art fair's Switzerland venue this past summer, Dempsey was fortunate to acquire one of Jacob Hashimoto's intricate and ethereal pieces. "International collectors at the fair quickly snatched up all six," he explains.
Hashimoto uses traditional Japanese kite-making techniques and patterns to construct painstaking compositions that float gracefully before the eye. Hexagons of rice paper and bamboo slivers, some collaged or painted with complex designs, are deftly mounted atop a complex honeycomb of nylon, string and bamboo.
"The textural focus of Hashimoto's piece is a common thread which runs throughout the show," says Dempsey. Differing surfaces elements are woven together in many of the works, delighting both the eye and mind.
The new, mixed media work of local artist Zac Freeman is a prime example of this focus. Exploring a new artistic arena he terms "junk art," discarded electronics, broken toys, flea market finds and items that might otherwise find their way into a recycling bin are adroitly transformed into lifelike portraits. Up close the pieces are reduced to their individual parts and look nothing more than the junk that they are, but stepping back from the works reveals another dimension- impressively realistic portrayals of friends and acquaintances.
Paintings by fellow local Tonya Lee are included in Winter Selections, as is the work of established artists Carlos Betancourt, Ingrid Calame, Francesco Clemente, Ryan McGinness, James Rosenquist and Thomas Ruff.
Tonya Lee, Ryan McGinness, and Zac Freeman
Ryan McGinness, Zac Freeman, Carlos Betancourt, and Jacob Hashimoto
Zac Freeman, Carlos Betancourt, Walton Ford, and Jacob Hashimoto
Zac Freeman, Carlos Betancourt, Jacob Hashimoto, and Robert Yasuda
Jean-Michel Basquiat, Tonya Lee, Ryan McGinness, Zac Freeman, and Carlos Betancourt
Thomas Ruff, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Tonya Lee
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