| Michael Johnson
was born in 1962. At the age of 14 he was sufficiently inspired
by an exhibition of Michaelangelo drawings to switch allegiance
from football to a paintbrush. Later, he gained a first at Reading
University and a scholarship at the Byam Shaw School of Art.
His inspiration is drawn from his sketches of ordinary scenes and he finds that larger themes can emerge, so from a rather unassuming vantage point his ideas are condensed into a theatre of rural/urban Englishness. He describes himself as an obsessive observer, capturing and processing his surroundings into visionary compositions. He maintains a central interest in the human form, although his inspiration has moved from the classical to the Gothic, embracing the tradition of Bosch, Brueghel and Hogarth, with their unnerving snapshots of a reality that is only too recognisable as observations of contemporary life His work is vibrant, engaging and arresting. His sometimes complex compositions have been admired and exhibited alongside those of Frank Auerbach and Leon Kossoff. This prize winning artist has exhibited widely and his works can be found in museum and private collections. |
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| Exhibitions:
Stowell Trophy Exhibitions |
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