Artist's Statement #4

My work draws attention to idiosyncratic things in the world. By examining mundane situations, I encourage viewers to reconsider ironies found in every day life. While I suggest a point of view, ideally my work simply poses questions for the viewer. I select subjects and themes that I connect with personally, such as loneliness and awkwardness, but that are archetypal in nature. I explore the ways societal values dictate certain behaviors in individuals as well as how individuals can subvert socially codified behaviors regarding gender, class and culture. In particular, I’m interested in examining how geography affects people; my experiences living in the Midwest, the East Coast and Europe have heavily influenced my work.


Although the ideas behind my art are often complex, the work itself often has a childlike aesthetic, with bright complex colors. Although children are associated with vibrant colors, I don’t use primary colors, so the work contains a subtle complexity. The naiveté is intended to make viewers feel safe and let down their guard as it pulls them into the work. Its content, however, explores complex ideas that are both sad and humorous. The comfort the viewer experiences at first is replaced with conflict and tension, but cheerful colors make the content easier to digest.

The materials I choose lend themselves to the specific project. My current work is influenced by the book Relational Aesthetics. Exploring art that interacts with viewers in public spaces, I’m collecting people’s drawings from places they have been. In the process, they tell me stories about the pictures they’re drawing. For another project, I am combining text with pictures I took in Paris. Written stories complement the photographs’ narratives by complicating the viewers’ assumptions of the image.

—Emma Johnson, July 14, 2009