ARTIST STATEMENT FOR GREGORY JOHNSON
WWW.MODERNGJ.COM 770.887.1561 GJHOTMETAL@BELLSOUTH.NET
I view “life as a journey that comes full circle.” Born in Chicago, my interest in art started at the age of 5. I went from sculpting and smoothing dirt in a tree well to now smoothing stainless steel sculptures. I’ve always been detail oriented and have enjoyed building unique things that challenge our mind and boundaries.
My current work focuses on simple, elegant geometric shapes- I like to create in sculpture, lyrical shapes that suggest things that we see and are familiar with but cannot touch or quantify, like the warmth of the sun, or the energy of a crashing wave. Inspired by curves depicted in life and nature, I like how they meander and cross over each other. My opinion is that curves are more happily found in nature than straight lines.
So, simply said, by using curves I am now sculpting feelings instead of people. This is more challenging, and more fun- there are no wrong interpretative viewpoints.
My emphasis on the circle as a thematic symbol is something artists have been dealing with since the Renaissance. A circle portrays presence in everyday life. A circle in its beauty is a spiritual shape with no beginning, middle or end. Wm Shakespeare quoted, “The object of art is to give life shape”.
My art, which is now in 1500 collections located in over 40 States and seven countries has shaped the journey of hundreds of thousands of people each day, all while bringing a few smiles along the way. And taking you the viewer on a right line that comes full circle.