Chris Johanson
Encyclopedia
Chris Johanson is an American painter
and street art
ist. He is a member of San Francisco
's Mission School
art movement.
in 1968. He has no formal training in art, learning some technique by painting skateboards and houses. He moved to San Francisco, California
's Mission District in 1989, where he became a member of the local art community, initially drawing cartoons on lampposts and bathroom walls using black Sharpies
. In 2004 he bought a home and moved to Portland, Oregon
.." with his wife, artist Jo Jackson.
Johanson achieved international fame after participating in 2002 Whitney Biennial
exhibition. The next year he was one of winners of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
's SECA Art Award
."
, and prefers to work in that medium.
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
and street art
Street art
Street art is any art developed in public spaces — that is, "in the streets" — though the term usually refers to unsanctioned art, as opposed to government sponsored initiatives...
ist. He is a member of San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
's Mission School
Mission School
The Mission School is an art movement of the 1990s and 2000s, centered in the Mission District of San Francisco, California.-History and characteristics:...
art movement.
Biography
Johanson was born in suburban San Jose, CaliforniaSan Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
in 1968. He has no formal training in art, learning some technique by painting skateboards and houses. He moved to San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
's Mission District in 1989, where he became a member of the local art community, initially drawing cartoons on lampposts and bathroom walls using black Sharpies
Sharpie (marker)
Sharpie is a manufacturer of writing instruments whose products are sold in over 20 countries. Originally a name designating a single permanent marker, the Sharpie brand has been widely expanded and can now be found on a variety of previously unrelated permanent and non-permanent pens and markers...
. In 2004 he bought a home and moved to Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
.." with his wife, artist Jo Jackson.
Johanson achieved international fame after participating in 2002 Whitney Biennial
Whitney Biennial
The Whitney Biennial is a biennale exhibition of contemporary American art, typically by young and lesser known artists, on display at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City, USA. The event began as an annual exhibition in 1932, the first biennial was in 1973...
exhibition. The next year he was one of winners of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is a modern art museum located in San Francisco, California. A nonprofit organization, SFMOMA holds an internationally recognized collection of modern and contemporary art and was the first museum on the West Coast devoted solely to 20th century art...
's SECA Art Award
SECA Art Award
The SECA Art Award is a contemporary art award program that has been administered by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and its auxiliary SECA since 1967 to honor San Francisco Bay Area artists. It includes an exhibition at SFMOMA, an accompanying catalogue, and a modest cash prize...
."
Works
Johanson's works, involving expressing urban themes through found and recycled materials and graffiti, are a response to his suburban childhood. Johanson has made a number of site installationsInstallation art
Installation art describes an artistic genre of three-dimensional works that are often site-specific and designed to transform the perception of a space. Generally, the term is applied to interior spaces, whereas exterior interventions are often called Land art; however, the boundaries between...
, and prefers to work in that medium.
External links
- Jack Hanley Gallery - exhibit information and gallery for Chris Johanson
- Chris Johanson's Works in the Dikeou Collection