Chris Johanson

Altman Siegel is thrilled to present Chris Johanson’s fourth solo exhibition with the gallery. Pairing new paintings with reworked sculptures, this show belies a major shift from previous bodies of work.

Contemplating the cycle of life, and of the material possessions we accumulate, Johanson’s focus on repurposing found objects has deepened. Trading wood substrates for canvases constructed with found stretcher bars and recycled drop cloths, materials more resistant to paint than commercial canvas, Johanson has intentionally slowed down his process, using painting as a means of mindfulness and meditation. In slowing down, Johanson has eschewed text and figuration for thoughtful abstraction, utilizing form, color, and movement to reflect on themes of bereavement, connection, and impermanence. His swirling color fields, each shade unique, create peaceful rhythms, underscoring the artist’s exploration of artmaking as a healing, therapeutic process.

Johanson has also revitalized his 2016/17 Cents sculptures for the exhibition. Originally created with found wood, these oddly shaped sculptures serially repeated the ¢ symbol to express the ever-present pressure of capitalism on us. Using found rope, collected over multiple years, Johanson transforms these once separate sculptures into one large, interconnected piece, tying them together to represent the sporadic nature of human connection. A cement human sculpture lies on the ground with indented spaces for the viewer to lay on top of.  Several chairs made of recycled wood, some of which are made in collaboration with Johanna Jackson, further invite the viewer to rest and contemplate the installation.

Chris Johanson’s work has been the subject of solo exhibitions at the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, CA; MoCA Pacific Design Center, Los Angeles, CA; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, CA; and Malmö Konsthall, Malmö, Sweden. Group exhibitions include Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, Berkeley, CA; McEvoy Foundation for the Arts, San Francisco, CA; Benaki Museum, Athens, Greece; Museum of Contemporary Art, Santa Barbara, CA; Whitney Biennial, New York, NY; Berlin Biennial, Berlin, Germany; Istanbul Biennial, Istanbul, Turkey; New Museum, New York, NY; Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY; Drawing Center, New York, NY; Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, IL; SITE, Santa Fe, NM; Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego, CA; Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, WA; Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver, Canada; and CCA Wattis Institute, San Francisco, CA.  A new monograph of the artist's work entitled: “Considering Unknow Know With What Is, And” is available for sale at the gallery.

For more information contact info@altmansiegel.com or 415.576.9300.