Exposition solo
February 22 - March 22, 2003
From February 22nd to March 22nd, Harlan Johnson is back at the Trois Points Gallery to present his latest work.
During his last visit to the gallery, the artist presented three series of paintings linking “noble” art with other vernacular modes of expression, such as the decorative arts. While the motives were domestic, the human print is here less apparent. The palette is also less contrasting, in order to touch the material foundation of things. The vocabulary is reduced to spherical forms; this is a way to distance oneself from the current language, filled with cultural references.
Interestingly, Johnson’s formal research was initially inspired by the maps of the American astronomer Percival Lowell. By observing Mars, he saw channels that, he said, proved the human presence on this planet. His theories have proven to be wrong, as the scientific discourse is constantly challenged, as well as the artistic approach.
For the first time, Harlan Johnson is exhibiting a body of work in his new workspace. Although this studio is located on the ground floor of his residence, the artist explores on canvas vast spaces, without architectural or domestic constraints. By the sedimentation of the pictorial layers, this production echoes the studio work; it reflects the process of creation formed by successive interventions of the artist, which are interrupted by daily activities.