SCULPTOR GREGORY JOHNSON - BIOGRAPHY
- Tue 1st August 2006, 9:59 am
SCULPTOR GREGORY JOHNSON
Worldwide, he is a part of a very small group of sculptors who create public art commissions that we see. It might seem strange to see a person speaking to a piece of artwork, unless, however, that artwork is a sculpture created by Gregory Johnson. So lifelike are these sculptures, that dogs sniff at their feet in bewilderment, while people smile and talk to them.
Local authorities, collectors, art agencies and consultants have sought him out to frequently portray historical and commemorative works for town squares, concert halls and city parks. “People are simply in awe” noted one collector, “as to the incredible likeness to the subject. It is as if the sculpture could talk to you”.
He believes in animated, softly detailed realistically figurative works that maintain classical proportions. With texture and supporting elements, the artist is able to express his unique perception within the large oeuvre of works that currently exist on the planet. His works are found in numerous Museums, Corporate and Private Collections throughout the United States, Europe, Costa Rica, and the Middle East.
Recently, he was commissioned by Northwest University of Missouri for a Centennial Sculpture of two students, the State of Georgia Botanical Gardens and by the Veterans Memorial Park of Colledgedale, Tennessee for a Vietnam Medic Memorial.
ARTIST`S BIOGRAPHY
Artist Gregory Johnson was born on January 30th, 1955, in Chicago Illinois. His early training includes the Art Institute of Chicago and tutoring by several world-class artists. An art scholarship sent him to Bowling Green State University in Ohio in 1973. Later, after winning the Elizabeth Stein Award of Art Excellence Scholarship, he traveled to Illinois State University, where he studied sculpture, painting, and art history for the following six years. He traveled through Europe and the Mediterranean, touring major Art museums for the entire summer through an International Studies Program. After graduating from ISU with a Masters of Science in Art, he began his chosen career as an artist. His work has sold well in the gallery environment, and resulted in numerous awards, commissions, reviews and one-man exhibitions.
In 1981 he moved to the Southeast to begin his career anew. The region offered many new challenges and sites to paint. His first art exhibitions in Atlanta were received very well, resulting in the establishment of the artist’s first studio in north Georgia. He has created public art works in Cumming-Forsyth County, Blairesville-Union County, Blue Ridge-Fannin County, Dahlonegha-Lumpkin County, Athens Classic Center, Fayetteville, Thomaston, Barnesville, State of Georgia Botanical Gardens, and Gainesville. Other works are located in numerous Museums, and Corporate and Private Collections throughout the United States, Europe, Costa Rica, and the Middle East.
Currently, the artist resides in Forsyth County, Georgia with his wife Jane and family where he professionally pursues his career of making art.
ARTISTS STATEMENT
From my earliest recollections, my work has always been representational in nature. It reflects a strong European tradition of a softly detailed surface quality, while expressing the energy and vitality of contemporary life.
The first step, which is the most important for me, is to capture the "PRESENCE" of the moment; this is done by creating a feeling of character, selecting the most expressive composition, and enhancing the feeling of movement. Artist’s describe this ability to capture movement as being gesturely rich. Even static objects can have an intrinsic feeling of movement.
With my sculpting tools, I look for ways to have a rich texture, while having a faithful and sensitive relationship to the meticulous detail of the object being depicted. While I have a clear personal vision of where the artwork is headed, I do yield to the surprises often discovered in the process.
