Anders Johnson
My paintings portray compressed and bustling spaces and
are inspired by anything—from films and books to travel and
memories. I develop the paintings using a compilation of unrelated
images taken from photographs that are either shot on location
or found through Internet research. As part of this process, I
make digital sketches of the composition, using Photoshop to
answer some of my initial questions concerning space and color.
In the work, I incorporate hard edges and exaggerated
perspectives to enhance the architectural characteristics of the
forms I’m depicting. Many of the paintings also retain traces
of the washy, drippy marks of the underpainting, exposing my
process while providing a contrast between the initial translucent
layers and the more opaque shapes and brushwork that lie on
top. I’m interested in how this build-up of history on the surface
of the paintings reflects the complex reality and slightly
fictionalized spaces I’m representing.