Peter Selz Interviews Mitchell Johnson

by Peter Selz

This 2009 catalog accompanied Mitchell Johnson exhibitions on the Stanford University Campus and at the Royal Danish Embassy in Washington, DC. It features 30 color plates of a diverse range of paintings and an interview conducted by art historian Peter Selz in Johnson's Palo Alto studio. Mitchell Johnson's paintings have appeared in ARTnews, Art in America, the NY Times Magazine, American Artist, Oprah s Next Chapter, The Mindy Project, Southwest Art, San Francisco Magazine, Provincetown Arts, Cape Arts Review, ArtScope, Art Ltd., Modern Painters, The NY Times T Magazine, Sunset Magazine, Gentry, The Huffington Post, American Contemporary Art, and many feature films including The Holiday (2006), It s Complicated (2009), The Lodger (2009), and Crazy Stupid Love (2011). Based in Silicon Valley, Mitchell Johnson moved to California in 1990 after completing his MFA at Parsons School of Design in New York City. Johnson was heavily influenced by his NY teachers Paul Resika, Leland Bell, Larry Rivers, Robert DeNiro, Sr., John Heliker and Nell Blaine many former students of Hans Hofmann. Johnson divides his time between his California studio and his favorite painting locations in Italy, France, Cape Cod and Denmark. His paintings can be found in over 700 collections including the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, the New Mexico Museum of Art, the Frederick R. Weisman Museum at Pepperdine, New Britain Museum of American Art, the Ogunquit Museum of American Art and the Federal Reserve Board in Washington, DC. Johnson s work has been the subject of solo exhibitions in San Francisco, Los Angeles, St. Helena, Portland, New York, Oakland, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Washington, DC and Kansas City. He completed his MFA in painting at Parsons School of Design in New York in 1990 where he studied with many former students of Hans Paul Resika, Jane Freilicher, Leland Bell, Nell Blaine, John Heliker and Robert De Niro, Sr.

48 pages, Perfect Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Peter Selz was a German-born American art historian who specialized in German Expressionism.

Reviews

[Grady · Rating 5 out of 5]

'...every painting has a different resolution and is a different journey.'

So often interviews between artist and critic seem to be verbal oneupsmanship battles. Not so with this very fine catalogue (created to accompany a traveling exhibition from Stanford University to the Royal Danish Embassy in the nation's capital). This illustrated conversation between the art writer Peter Selz ('The Art of Engagement' among other books) and Mitchell Johnson in Johnson's Palo Alto, California studio is both informative and enjoyable as a stimulating dialogue between artist and viewer. Though the catalogue contains images from previous exhibition publications, the selection of paintings illustrated here coincide with a very informative and warm discussion between two well spoken gentlemen and cover the touchy topic of representation versus abstraction painting is as informed a manner as any found in the literature.

Included in the 30 odd images of Mitchell Johnson's output are purely abstract paintings such as a very large and impressive 'Outsider' 2008-2009 oil on canvas measuring 78 by 120 inches contrasting with the serenity of the landscape painting 'Torrenieri' 2008. Johnson and Selz clearly explore the manner in which color blocks interweave to transform abstraction to representation, with frequent asides about other painters such as Albers, DeKooning, and Diebenkorn who dealt with siilar issues.

Another addition to this beautifully designed catalogue are more of Mitchell Johnson's very interesting figurative paintings such as 'D&L' 2009 and 'Bornholm(Five)' 2009. These, when placed in context with his landscapes and his pure abstractions, offer a fluid dialogue about many concepts in contemporary art in this erudite studio conversation.

Grady Harp