Project Description

Dion Johnson

Dion Johnson (b.1975)

Dion Johnson
Dion Johnson HI-DEF COLOR PHASE
Dion Johnson
Dion Johnson
Dion Johnson
Dion Johnson HI-DEF COLOR PHASE
Dion Johnson
Dion Johnson HI-DEF COLOR PHASE
Dion Johnson
Dion Johnson HI-DEF COLOR PHASE
Dion Johnson HI-DEF COLOR PHASE
Dion Johnson
Dion Johnson HI-DEF COLOR PHASE
Dion Johnson
Dion Johnson
Dion Johnson HI-DEF COLOR PHASE

1 2 3

BIO / STATEMENT

b. 1975, Ohio

Los Angeles-based Dion Johnson makes hard-edged, abstract paintings with dynamic color fields and lines. In his works, bold, contrasting swathes droop down and slide across his canvases, existing simultaneously as line, shape, and color. Lines and forms butt up against, shift, and weave through one another, but preserve their sharply defined boundaries. A thin line between thick fields of color will abruptly become rounded off or bend across adjacent fields, creating a bustling sense of movement with a limited vocabulary. Johnson turns these boisterous elements into carefully crafted and finely balanced compositions.

EDUCATION
2000
Master of Fine Arts, Claremont Graduate University, Claremont, CA
1997
Bachelor of Fine Arts, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
1996
Yale Norfolk Summer School of Music and Art, Norfolk, CT
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2023
Color Play, L. A. Louver, Venice, CA
2023
HIGH-DEF COLOR PHASE, ,Bentley Gallery, Phoenix, AZ
2022
Vibrant, Holly Johnson Gallery, Dallas, TX
2018
Feel the Sky, Ten Year Survey, Azusa Pacific University, Asuza, CA
2017
Color Chords, Western Project, Los Angeles, CA
2016
Optic Energy, Holly Johnson Gallery, Dallas, TX
2015
Chromatic Momentum, DeBuck Gallery, New York, NY
2015
Luminous Trajectories, Bentley Gallery, Phoenix, AZ
2013
Vivid Slipstream, Western Project, Los Angeles, CA
2012
Velocity, De Buck Gallery, New York, NY
2011
New Paintings, Western Project, Los Angeles, CA
2011
New Paintings, Marty Walker Gallery, Dallas, TX
2009
Brilliant Frequencies, Rebecca Ibel Gallery, Columbus, OH
2009
Shadows and Vistas, Project 210, Pasadena, CA
2009
Twilight, Cypress College Fine Arts Gallery, Cypress, CA
2008
Isotope Series, Rebecca Ibel Gallery, Columbus, OH
2007
Works on Paper, Empathy Design Company, South Pasadena, CA
2005
Radiance, Carl Berg Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2005
Continuous Transmission, Desiree’ Synder Gallery, Sarasota, FL
2004
New Paintings: Project Room, Stephen Stux Gallery, New York, NY
2004
Wow and Flutter, Rebecca Ibel Gallery, Columbus, OH
2002
Popsicle Scenarios, Rebecca Ibel Gallery, Columbus, OH
2002
Softer Frequencies, Richard Heller Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2001
Bill Maynes Gallery, New York, NY 2000 Rebecca Ibel Gallery, Columbus, OH
2000
MFA Exhibition, Claremont University, Claremont, CA
1998
Rebecca Ibel Gallery (Ibel Simeonov), Columbus, OH
1998
ROY G BIV, Columbus, OH
1997
Exposures Gallery, Columbus, OH
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2023
The Flower Show, L. A. Louver, Venice, CA
2023
Annual Summer Show Bently Gallery, Phoenix, AZ
2023
States of Being, AMcE Creative Arts Seattle, WA
2023
Two of Us, Dion Johnson; Michael Reafsnyder, Contemporary Art Matters, Columbus, OH
2021
In Sequence, Holly Johnson Gallery, Dallas, TX
2021
Taking Interest, Summer in the City, Contemporary Art Matters (online)
2021
Flying Colors, Contemporary Art Matters, Columbus, OH
2021
Chromatic, Bentley Gallery, Phoenix, AZ
2020
Future Perfect, Dion Johnson & Christopher Pate, Modfellows Art Gallery, Nashville, TN
2020
L.A. Stories,’ Leo Castelli Gallery, Brenau University, Gainesville, GA
2020
$25,000 x 18, Bentley Gallery, Phoenix, AZ
2019
Pulled in Brooklyn, International Print Center, New York, NY
2019
Driving Forces, The Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus, OH
2019
Los Angeles Painting, Lancaster Museum of Art and History, Lancaster, CA
2019
Summertime Blues, Holly Johnson Gallery, Dallas, TX
2019
Color Spectrum, Bentley Gallery, Phoenix, AZ
2018
Evolver, L. A. Louver, Venice, CA
2018
Magic, Roberts Projects, Culver City, CA
2018
Western Project – Werkartz Chinatown, Los Angeles, CA
2018
For the Love of Painting, Contemporary Art Matters, Columbus, OH
2018
Inaugural Exhibition, Contemporary Art Matters, Columbus, OH
2017
LA Painting, Formalism to Street Art, curated by Andi Campognone, Bruno David Gallery, St. Louis, MO
2017
Abstraction in the Singular: Part I, curated by Dr. Grant Vetter, Bentley Gallery, Phoenix, AZ
2017
Karl & Beverly Benjamin Fellowship in Art Recipients Exhibition, , Peggy Phelps Gallery Claremont Graduate University, Claremont, CA
2017
Dion Johnson & David Skeens New Editions, Joseph Editions, Columbus, OH
2016
Manmade, Holly Johnson Gallery, Dallas, TX
2016
Western Project @ Jaus, Jaus, Los Angeles, CA
2016
Intent Fortuity, Jamie Brooks Fine Art Gallery, Costa Mesa, CA
2015
Surface to Edge, Cypress College Art Gallery, Cypress, CA
2014
NOWism, Pizzuti Collection, Columbus, OH
2014
Western Project: 11 Year Anniversary Show, Los Angeles, CA
2013
Colormetry, Lancaster Museum of Art and History, Lancaster, CA
2013
Tripod: Kyla Hansen & Dion Johnson, Peggy Phelps Gallery, Claremont Graduate School, Claremont, CA
2012
Summer Selections, De Buck Gallery, New York, NY
2011
About Paint, Carl Berg Projects, West Hollywood, CA
2010
Set Theory, Torrance Art Museum, Torrance, CA
2010
Construction Zone, Western Project, Los Angles, CA
2009
Western Project: The First Six Years, Western Project, Culver City, CA
2009
Drawings, Rebecca Ibel Gallery, Columbus, OH
2009
Art for a Recession, Rebecca Ibel Gallery, Columbus, OH
2008
Plush, curated by Martin Durazo, Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock, Los Angeles, CA
2007
Family Garden, curated by Shana Nys Dambrot and Elizabeth Paige Smith, Elizabeth Paige Smith Atelier, Venice, CA
2007
Pixel, Harris Art Gallery, La Verne, CA
2006
Dion Johnson, Sush Machida Gaikotsu and Kelly McCormick, Rebecca Ibel Gallery, Columbus, OH
2006
Beauty/ The Sublime/ Intensity, Gallery Project, Ann Arbor, MI
2004
Microclimate, The Harris Art Gallery, La Verne, CA
2004
Claremont Seven, Seven Degrees, Laguna Beach, CA
2004
Observations, Carl Berg Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2004
Reordering Reality: Collecting Contemporary Art, The Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus, OH
2003
Fresh: Works on Paper, A Fifth Anniversary, James Kelly Contemporary, Santa Fe, NM
2003
Ten Years in Columbus, Part 1, Rebecca Ibel Gallery, Columbus, OH
2001
Summertime 2001, Part 2, Rebecca Ibel Gallery, Columbus, OH
2001
Informants, The Harris Art Gallery, The University of La Verne: La Verne, CA
2001
Homage: Roland Reiss, Claremont Alumni Show, Center for the Arts, Claremont, CA
2001
Cross-pollination, curated by Susan Joyce, The Holland Tunnel, Brooklyn, NY
2000
Currencies, Patricia Correia Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
2000
New American Talent, 15th Exhibition, curated by David Pagel, The Jones Center for Contemporary Art, Austin, TX and traveling through 2001 to Shore Art Gallery, Abilene, TX; Texarkana Regional Arts and Humanities Council, Texarkana, TX; Buddy Holly Center, Lubbock, TX; Fire House Gallery, Del Rio, TX
2000
Refractions in the Plastic Pulse, Claremont Graduate University, Claremont, CA
1999
Emerging Artists in Ohio, Sandusky Cultural Center, Sandusky, OH 1998 Both, First Year Graduate Exhibition, Claremont Graduate University, Claremont, CA
1997
Ohio, Rebecca Ibel Gallery (Ibel Simeonov), Columbus, OH
 
SELECTED PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Ameriprise Advisors, Columbus OH The Capital Group Companies, Inc., Los Angeles, CA The Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH
The Columbus Museum of Art, OH Creative Artist Agency, CA Fidelity Investments, Boston, MA Pizzuti Collection, Columbus, OH Progressive Corp., Mayfield Village, OH Squire Sanders & Dempsey LLP, Columbus, OH Twitter Inc., Santa Monica, CA
The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX
The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
Wellington Management, Boston, MA Copelouzos Family Art Museum, Athens, Greece
 
PUBLICATIONS
2022
Zotos, John, “Vibrant,” Visual Art Source, January 18, 2022
2019
Tonguette, Peter Driving Forces, The Columbus Dispatch, November 17
2018
Wood, Eve. Magic at Roberts Projects, Art and Cake, August 10, online
2018
Osberg, Annbel. Gallery Rounds: Dion Johnson, Artillery, February 20, online
2017
Pagel, David. Abstract Painting in Los Angeles, Gallery Magazine, June 2017, p. 18 ill
2017
Brewer, Gary. Studio Visit: Dion Johnson, The Curvature of Light, Art and Cake, July, online Tonguette, Peter. Elegant, Spare Design Transforms Text into Art, The Columbus Dispatch, February 12, p. E5 ill
2016
Carasso, Roberta. Continuing and Recommended Exhibition, Art Scene, February, online
2015
Vetter, Grant. Dion Johnson at Bentley Gallery, The Arts Beacon, December, online
2015
Bridget, Gleason. Color in Motion: Dion Johnson’s Abstract Paintings of Light, Shape and Color, Artsy Editorial, January 8, online
2013
Nichols, Kimberly. Colormetry Uses Color as Instigator, Droste Effect, February 25, p. 44 ill
2013
Frank, Peter. Colormetry, Artillery, March 4, p. 112 Bush, Bill. The Opposites of Art, Huffington Post, June 10, online
2012
The Radiant West Coast of Dion Johnson, LanciaTrendVisions.com, November 15, online
2012
Esterow, Milton. The ARTnews 200 Top Collectors, ARTnews, Summer, p. 95
2011
Fitzpatrick, Kyle. Dion Johnson Melts Color, Los Angeles I’m Yours, December 20, online
2011
Lima, Benjamin. Critic’s Pick, Art Forum, October, online
2011
Daichendt, G. James. Continuing and Recommended Exhibition, Art Scene, September 1, online
2011
Dion Johnson : New Paitnings, Artweek.LA, August 1, online.
2009
Cohen, David. Pic of the Fairs, Artcritical, December 6, online
2008
Nys Dambrot, Shana. Plush, Flavorpill Los Angles, November 7, 2008
2005
Myers, Holly. Around the Galleries, Los Angeles Times, December 2, p. E30 ill
2004
Fryer-Kohles, Jeanne. Painter crafts, mixed media into his personal diary, The Columbus Dispatch, January 25, p. D4
2004
Starker, Melissa. Entering The Atmosphere, Alive, January 21, p. 21
2004
James, Elizabeth Ann. Art Blossoms On The Wind: Celebrating Time and Talent-Past and Present, The Short North Gazette, p.12
2003
Fryer-Kohles, Jeanne. Sextet’s Modern Pieces Sparkle, The Columbus Dispatch, April 6. p.F4
2002
Fryer-Kohles, Jeanne. Childhood’s Mystery Seen in Sunny Visions, The Columbus Dispatch, March, p. G7
2001
Johnson, Ken. Bill Maynes exhibition review, The New York Times, October 19, p. E40
2001
Scheiber, Curtis. Dion Johnson, Paintings That Dogs and Cats Can Understand, Dialogue, January/February, p. 28 (cover shot)
2000
Pagel, David. catalog essay, Dion Johnson, November
1998
Hall, Jacqueline. Images Won’t Stand Still, The Columbus Dispatch, December 6

Artsy: Dion Johnson Channels LA Life into Crisp, Vibrant Abstractions
Hard-edged lines and vibrant color fields traverse the canvases of Los Angeles painter Dion Johnson. Johnson is known for his ability to translate and condense everyday scenes into streaks of vibrant color. Luminous Trajectories at Bentley Gallery unveils Johnson’s new body of work. Paintings like City Girl evoke characteristics of infamous Southern California roadways, punctuated by colorful streams of sport scars weaving through traffic.  

Artsy: Color in Motion – Dion Johnson’s Abstract Paintings of Light, Shape, and Color
Art Critic David Pagel distinguishes the painting work of Dion Johnson through the use of simile. “The L.A. painter makes color fat, like the belly of the Buddha… Johnson also keeps color taut, like a sail in a gale, stretched to its physical limits in gracefully bulging curves that are elegant, functional and forceful.” His boldly saturated pieces are displayed in the suitably named Chromatic Momentum exhibition, on view at De Buck Gallery in New York through February 14, 2015. 

Wall Street International: Dion Johnson, Chromatic Momentum
De Buck Gallery announces Chromatic Momentum, an exhibition by Los Angeles-based painter Dion Johnson. Dion Johnson delivers color in ways that other artists couldn’t dream of. Keeping his hard-edged colors taught like lifted sails, Johnson delivers compositions that are reflective of life in Southern California.

Artweek LA: Dion Johnson New Paintings
Flat planes of color merge and shift in the works of Dion Johnson. Aware of forerunners like Karl Benjamin and John McLaughlin, Johnson shifts his color field principles to address  to characterize 

WideWalls: Dion Johnson
Born in Ohio 1975, Dion Johnson is a rising American painter with a BFA from Ohio State University and an MFA from Claremont Graduate University. His acrylic paintings explore contemporary notions of urban, digital and natural environments through the use of dynamic hard-edged color fields.

Featured on

​