Carl Johnson

ARTIST'S STATEMENT

Real Lives

My work splits into three distinctive parts. The first third is of images of livestock and, in particular, rare breeds of sheep, goats, pigs and cattle. The animals' rarity adds to the feeling of individuality that I am trying to achieve. The uniqueness of the individual is all-important. This is also true of place in an age in which one urban environment is identical to another. Within my prints and oil pastels of woods and architectural interiors, I have specified particular trees and particular places. I see these two subjects as portraits - the individual and the place as unique.

The other third of my work is with the human form. As with all my subjects, I see these works as individual portraits rather than anonymous life studies. This is not to forget history, myth and shared iconography. A portrait of someone called Eve cannot fail to invoke shared myth, as does, in a more obscure way, 'A Line of Grace'. But what I try to do with all my work is produce subject-centred comments on real lives.

 

DRY POINT PRINTS

Dry point prints are one form of intaglio printmaking. The plate is inscribed with an etching or engraving needle. When the image is complete, printing ink is then dabbed or scraped onto the plate. The plate is then wiped with a muslin cloth, leaving only the ink in the grooves or indentures. Heavyweight damp paper is then placed on the plate which is already on the bed of the press. The bed, plate and paper is then taken through the rollers. This transfers the ink onto the paper. The whole inking process is then repeated for each subsequent print.

CV

1946 - Born Solihull, Warwickshire
1966-68 - Solihull Technical College
1968-71 - Newport College of Art: Fine Art
1971-73 - Ateliers 63, Haarlem, Netherlands: Post-grad
1974-75 - London University
1975-80 - Taught in London
1980-87 - Taught at Romsey School
1987-2000 - Taught at St Swithuns Girls' School: Head of Department
2000-present - Full time painter and printmaker

Solo Exhibitions include:

Gourney Court, West Harptree, Somerset - December 2009
Theatre Royal, Bath - 2009
Yorkshire Sculpture Park - 2008
Leeds City Art Gallery - 2007
Hampshire Artists Open Studios - September '04, '03, '02
Guildhall Gallery, Winchester - July '04, May '03, '00, '92
West End Arts Centre, Aldershot - 2003
King Alfred's College, Winchester - 2002
Brompton Gallery, London - 2001
South Hill Parks Arts Centre, Prints - 2000
Drill Hall Theatre, London - 1997
Produzenten Galerie 42, Giessen, Germany - 1996
Bell Fine Art, Winchester - 1993
Lodge Gallery, Lyndhurst - 1993
Hawth Theatre, Crawley - 1992
Kongresshalle, Giessen, Germany - 1991
Woodlands Art Gallery, Blackheath - 1990
Bedford Central Library - 1989
Travelling Exhibition, Hampshire Museums -1988, 1987
(Havant, Eastleigh, Christchurch, Andover, Basingstoke and Alton)
Travelling Exhibition Hampshire - 1985
(in conjunction with Solent People's Theatre)
The Showroom, London - 1985
Gallery 273, London - 1985
Chenil Art Gallery, London - 1984
Battersea Arts Centre - 1977

Mixed Exhibitions include:

Bath Society of Artists - 2010
Art for Life, Bath - 2010
3 Somerset Artists, Wells Cathedral - September 2010
Royal West of England Academy, Open Print Bristol - 2009
Art for Life, RUH, Bath - '07, '08, '09
Royal Bath and West Show - 2009
Bath Society of Artists Open - 2008, 2009
Guildhall Gallery - 2005
King Alfred's University College - 2005, 2006
St Cross Hospital - 2005
Print Makers Council Stark Gallery - 2004
Print Makers Council at Brighton Visual Arts Festival - 2004
Mini Print Touring Exhibition at Bankside Gallery - 2004
Not the Royal Academy, Llewellyn Alexander Gallery - Aug '04, '03, 02, 01, 97
St Barbe Museum, Lymington - 2004
Print Makers Council at Salisbury Hospital - Art Care - 2004
Royal Academy Summer Exhibition - Aug ;03, '02, '99, '98
Print Makers Council at Fisherton Mill - 2003
Fresh Art PMC Business Design Centre - Aug '03, '01
Print Makers Council Wyards Gallery, Faversham, Kent - 2003
The 5th and 6th British Miniature Print Exhibition, Miniprint International de Cadaques, Spain - '05, '06
National Print Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London - '03, '02, '01, '99
Open Studio, Winchester City Council - '04, '02, '01
Artsway, Sway, Land - 2002, 2003
Harley Gallery PMC Exhibition - 2002
Fisherton Mill, Salisbury - Dec '02, Nov '01, '99, '98
Printmakers Council at the Guildhall Gallery, Winchester - 2002
'Animal' Artsways, Sway, Hants - 2002, 2002
'Lasting Impressions' PMC, Hall Place, Bexley - 2001
PMC, National Theatre - 2001
Royal West of England Academy - '00, '99, '98, '97
Maltby Gallery, Winchester - 2000, 1999
South Side Arts, Southampton, PMC - 2000
Falmouth Arts Centre - 2000
TAG Sale, London - 2000, 1999
Art Link Gallery, Hull - 2000
Art-T Gallery, Oxford - 2000
Brian Elwel Gallery, Devizes - 1999
Will's Art Warehouse - 1999
Jaze Gallery - 1999, 1998
Whilbley Galleries, Worthing - 1999
Cuprum VIII Print Biennale, Lublin, Poland - 1998
'Animal Magnetism' Touring Exhibition with Leicester City Art Gallery - 1998/2000
Produzenten Gallerie, Giessen, Germany - 1999
Xtreme Art, Hitchin - 1999, 1998
Battersea Arts Centre Art Fair - 1999
Beatrice Royal Gallery, Eastleigh - 1998, 1996, 1996
Chichester Open, Edes House, Chichester - 1997
Sudwest LB Druckgrafic Kunstpreis - 1997
Sttutgard & Mannheim - 1997
Graffic '97, North Lincolnshire Art Gallery - 1997
WCA Summer Exhibition, Winchester - 1996, 1995, 1994
Pastel Society, Mall Galleries, London - '96, '95, '94, '93, '92
Portsmouth City of Arts Gallery - 1996
Cheltenham Drawing Biennale - 1995
Bell Fine Art, Winchester - 1994
Poole Arts Centre, 'Human Form' - 1993
Kongresshalle, Giessen, Germany - 1992
'3 Artists from Winchester', Woodlands Art Gallery, Blackheath - 1998, 1989
Christies, London - 2003, 1990
Hockey Gallery, Farnham, 'Pictures in Black & White' - 1989
Eastleigh Museum (selected and participated in) '4 Artists working in Hampshire' - 1988
Chenil Gallery, London - 1984
Bath Festival Contemporary Art Fair - 1984
The London Group - 1978


Old Bakery Artists

At Radstock Museum - 2008
At Bath Guildhall - 2008, 2009
At Rook Lane Gallery, Frome - 2008
At the RUH, Bath - 2008/09
At Wells Museum - 2009
At Open Studios - 2009

Work in Public and Private Collections

In New York, Texas, UK, Amsterdam, Germany, Austria, Poland, Florida, California, South Carolina and the Gulf States.

Grants and Awards:

Winchester City Council - 1992, 1991
South East Arts RAB - 1992
Southern Arts RAB - 1991, 1987
Eastern Arts RAB - 1989
Prizewinner 2011 Guanlan International Print Biennial, China - May 2011
2010/11 EAC Art Award, RBSA Gallery, Birmingham - May 2011