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Nationally recognized abstract artist exhibit on display at Bert Bornblum Art Gallery

By Lynn Maples

Chuck JohnsonUnique, abstract artwork from nationally-known artist Chuck Johnson will be on display throughout the month of November at Southwest’s Macon Cove Campus.

Chuck showcases his unique perspective of botanical and geometric abstractions through his artwork. Thirteen pieces, a part of an exhibit titled “Works on Paper”, will be displayed at the Bert Bornblum Art Gallery from Nov. 1 to Dec. 1. Johnson and Southwest Professors Alex Paulus and Tad Lauritzen Wright selected the works for display.

“Our students are often engaged with works on paper in their own studio courses, and seeing the energy and concentration that Chuck puts into his work, I know will inspire them,” said Lauritzen Wright, assistant professor in the department of Communication, Graphics and Fine Arts. “Seeing an artist's process and comparing and contrasting one piece to another is an important step towards understanding how an artist communicates with their work. The work directly affects all students in studio courses as well as students in Introduction to Art and Design courses. The experience of seeing work created by an established Memphis artist expands the cultural understanding of the arts in Memphis and potentially is a first-time experience for many students.”

Johnson is a native of Memphis, graduated from the University of Memphis, served as curator of education for the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art and served as curator of education for the Brooks Art Gallery. He also taught at Rhodes College, the Memphis College of Art, and the University of Memphis. He worked for two decades at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., where he devoted time to creating art and ingraining himself into the artistic community.

He returned to Memphis in 2003 when he retired to pursue work as an artist full-time. His artwork has been included in more than 40 exhibitions since 1986 and is currently displayed in local and national public and private collections.

Johnson has evolved and modified his style as an artist all his life, gradually transitioning from neo-expressionism to botanical and geometric abstractions. Johnson explains his process and perspective: “I am interested in an art-making approach that explores the often-conflicted relationship between the decorative traditions in geometric patterns found in other cultures and Western modernism.”

Works in the exhibition are available for purchase online at chuckjohnsonart.com. For more information about Johnson’s exhibit, contact Tad Lauritzen Wright at tlauritzen@southwest.tn.edu or 901-333-5157.