Statement

‘ I work with a variety of materials from organic matter like leaves, clay, seeds and natural pigments; to man-made materials such as steel, cement and industrial spray-paints, to create painting, sculpture and installation-based works that are concerned with the human imprint on the landscape and it's impact on the environment.

For me a 'landscape' goes far beyond the landscape, it's a limitless space that can be physical, metaphorical, mental, spiritual or the body; a space that we inhabit individually or collectively.’

Biography

IAN JOHNSON (b. 1969, UK) studied at Jacob Kramer College of Art, Leeds and Goldsmiths College, London, where he graduated with a BA (hons) Fine Art degree in 1991. During this period he was awarded an Erasmus Travel Scholarship to study at L'Ecole de Beaux Arts, Montpellier, France, as well as receive a Young Artist's Work Scholarship for the Museo de Arte Contemporanea, Castello di Rivoli, Torino, Italy. In addition to numerous awards and grants, Ian was a recipient of the Florence Trust International Artist Studio Residency in 2006.

He has exhibited in the UK and internationally, in both public and private galleries and his work is held in many private collections. Ian now lives in Mexico where his work is currently on show with Interseccion Arte Contemporaneo.

Selected Exhibitions

2024 Nov (dates tbc)

Solo show

Interseccion Arte Contemporaneo, MX

3rd August (opening) - 28th Oct

'Terrae motus' (group show)

Interseccion Arte Contemporaneo, SMA, MX

3rd Feb - 30 April

'Colectiva Homenaje' (group show)

Interseccion Arte Contemporaneo, SMA, MX

2023 6th May - 29th July 2023

'Fragile Landscapes' (solo show)

Interseccion Arte Contemporaneo, SMA, MX

9th Feb - 9th April 2023

'Fragile Landscapes' (solo show - curated by Adriana Maria Martinez)

Centro Cultural Pedregal, Mexico City, MX

2022 Nov - Jan 31st 2023

'Equinox (between the day and the night)' (solo show)

Interseccion Arte Contemporaneo, SMA, MX

2021 Oct-Nov

'The Weight of Gravity (parts 1, 2 & 3)' (solo show)

Centro Cultural Pedregal, Mexico City, MX

2020 Nov-Jan 2021

'The Weight of Gravity' (solo show)

Interseccion Arte Contemporaneo, SMA, MX

2019             Constructed Nature (solo show)
Interseccion Arte Contemporaneo, SMA, MX

                    300 Years of European Landscapes (group show)
Casa de Europa, SMA, MX

2018 Micro Cosmo (group show)
Interseccion Arte Contemporaneo, SMA, MX

2017    The Frequency Variations (solo show)
Interseccion Arte Contemporaneo, SMA, MX

2016 Cross Sections (solo presentation)
Interseccion Arte Contemporaneo, Valle de Bravo, MX

Refractor Paintings (solo installation)
Skot Foreman Gallery, SMA, MX

2015 4 Elements (solo installation)
Skot Foreman Gallery, SMA, MX

New works (group show)
   Interseccion Arte Contemporaneo, Valle de Bravo, MX

2014 Kind of Blue (group show)
Skot Foreman Gallery, SMA, MX

2013 Mapping the Territory (solo show)
Skot Foreman Gallery, San Miguel de Allende, MX

2011   Collidescope (solo show)
Four Arts, London, UK

  Colour (group show)
Beldam Gallery, Brunel University, London, UK

2010 Split Screen (group show)
Galerie Jones, Cologne, DE

  TimeScale (solo show)
Gooden Gallery, London, UK

  Print Now Pt.2 (group show)
Bearspace, London, UK

  Print Now (selected group show)
London Art Fair, London, UK

2009 Storm (group show - RVCC)
Whitechapel Gallery, London, UK

2008 Without Borders (group show)
Blank Gallery, Brighton, UK

    Climate Control (solo show)
Cell Studios, London, UK

2006 Eidos (two-person show)
VineSpace, Vyner Street, London, UK

Liminal Phase (group show)
Highbury Studios, London, UK

FT'06 (group show)
Florence Trust Studios, London, UK

Small Works (group show)
VineSpace, Vyner Street, London, UK

2005 Painting Concepts (group show)
VineSpace, Vyner Street, London, UK

Arts Unwrapped
Florence Trust Open Studios, London, UK

2002 Climate Drawings (solo show)
Dean Clough Galleries, Halifax, UK

Climate Drawings (solo show)
Canning House, London, UK

2001 Red Oxide (solo show)
Ollintla Gallery, Oaxaca, MX

2000            Political Dialogue (solo show)
Space Studios, London, UK

1999 Imagining Developments (group show)
Worldwrite Centre, London, UK

1997          El Observatorio (solo show)
Centro Cultural El Puente, San Cristobal Las Casas, MX

1995 Tropical Cancer (solo show)
                     Copperfield Road Studios, London, UK

1994          Whitechapel Open (group show)
                     Copperfield Road Studios, London, UK

1993          Cross-Over (group show)
                     Genius Loci Arts, London, UK

1992          Sheffield Media Show (group show)
                     Sheffield Polytechnic, Sheffield, UK

1991 Ian Johnson / Daisuke Minowa (2 person show)
Kepler Gallery, London, UK

Selected Awards / Grants

2019 Artist Residency Scholarship
Barro.Co Clay Studio, San Miguel de Allende, MX

2005 Florence Trust International Studio Residency
   St. Saviours, Aberdeen Park, London, UK

2002 France-Amerique-Latine (FAL)
Towards a new Autonomy for Young People
   European / Latin American Conference - Paris, France

1998 Un Idee du Monde / Natura 2000
Encuentro Multilateral en Monfrague, Estremadura, Spain

1994 France-Amerique-Latine (FAL) / INJEP
Le role des Jeunes dans le developpement local des societes
multi-culturelles
   European / Latin American Conference - Athens, Greece

1993 Genius Loci/ London Arts Board
Cross-Over Installation Show Grant
Kings Cross, London, UK

Un Idee du Monde
Arts Research Grant
   Ecuador, Colombia, S America

International Young Workers Study Scholarship
   Museo d' Arte Contemporanea, Castello di Rivoli, Torino, Italy

Publications

2021 'Artist Ian Johnson examines humanity's tug-of-war with the natural world'

by Lydia Carey - Mexico News Daily - online publication (October 26th 2021)

2020 'Inside Barro.Co Clay Studio' - Artist online interview by Roslyn Bernstein for

Medium.com

2017 'Artists in their own words' -artist interview - THIS magazine, MX publication

2014 'His erudite minimalism draws inspiration from cartography and neurology'

Artnet Asks - artist online interview by Lorraine Rubio for Artnet.com

2011 TimeScale exhibition featured in 'Quiet London' by Siobhan Wall

Book publication - Frances Lincoln publishers.

2006 Catalogue essay by Curator Pryle Behrman for the Florence Trust International

Studio Residency, 2006

Education

Goldsmiths College of Art, London, UK
Ba (hons) Fine Art

L'Ecole des Beaux Arts, Montpellier, France
Erasmus Travel Scholarship

Jacob Kramer College of Art, Leeds, UK
Art & Design Foundation Course