San Francisco & SFMOMA

San Francisco & SFMOMA

San Francisco

Winter has passed and I’ve been out and about, seeing friends, family, and exhibitions in one of my favorite cities, San Francisco. Since I’m on the road I haven’t been actively posting, but today, I added a new image to the photographs portfolio, SF Bay 2013. When I return to the studio I’ll have more time to update with more images and some new words here.

Posted by Thomas Alix Johnston in Words, 0 comments
Revolver – Artist Book

Revolver – Artist Book

revolver

Initially, Revolver grew out of the desire to create a series of paintbrushes, actual brushes that could be used in the act of painting. Having used commercially available brushes made from a variety of natural bristles, animal hairs, and synthetic materials, I was curious how a brush made from human hair would carry and distribute various paints and inks. Would a paintbrush made from human hair hold media differently, and would it delineate with precision or let flow over the paper or canvas much differently than say, squirrel, sable, horse or other source material?

I was discussing this idea with an artist I know who also happened to be a hair stylist. After she finished cutting my hair she said hold on a sec, and disappeared behind her curtain, into the next room. When she returned, she brought, cradled in her arms, several examples of long hair that had been shorn from customers who had transformed their appearance and left behind dramatic locks. She offered me the choice of one sample from her collection.

I selected the blackest hair, Continue reading →

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Du Regard à la Vision

Du Regard a la Vision- Case

Du Regard à la Vision, a limited edition livre de luxe with five aquatints and poem, The Panther, by Rainer Maria Rilke.  Publisher: Éditions Lacourière Frélaut, Paris, France, 1994. Dimensions: case- 10 5/8” x 8 ½” x 1 1/8,” images- 10” x 8”

When Denise Frélaut-Fischerman and Luc Guerin took leadership of publications and editions at Lacourière Frélaut, their first project was to invite four artists, including myself, to create a set of livre de luxe.  The other three artists invited to participate in this first project were ChristianC, Martin Müller-Reinhart, and Françoise Roy.

Rilke’s beautiful poem The Panther was the inspiration Continue reading →

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The Stranger aka The Hair Book

The Stranger aka The Hair Book

altered book w hair & accessories

altered book w hair & accessories

The Hair Book, is an altered book using Albert Camus’ L’étranger (The Stranger) as a component in a multi-faceted art work in which I invited individuals, many unknown Continue reading →

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Studio Building – Building Studio

Exterior
Building a studio begins to grow, from the first scrap of paper and box of pencils. Following years of rented spaces, at the mercy of landlords and 30 day notices, when you find you have to once again pack, prepare the tools, materials, inventory, and call on friends to help with the heavy stuff, the dream of having control of one’s own space, from the ground up, is a dream Continue reading →

Posted by Thomas Alix Johnston in Blog, Words, 2 comments