Work

James Johnson

Friday, September 2nd, 2011 - Sunday, September 25th, 2011

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION

James Johnson is thinking about what it means to be an artist at this particular moment in history. Work is a collection of efforts that attempt to explore some of the questions that inform this position, including:

What does it mean to have a studio practice? What does it mean to make objects now?

What is the significance of the things that an artist says about his/her work. How is the work itself affected by the way in which these statements are made?

If an artist includes him/herself or his/her activities in an artwork, is the work necessarily a performance?

What role do other artists’ ideas, works, and activities play in the making and reception of one’s own work?

What is an artist’s work about? Why are form, content, subject matter, syntax, and material important considerations?

What are the unintended consequences of presenting work in a particular context? How does an artist deal with these consequences once they’ve arisen?

What are the economics of being an artist? How is the production of art paid for?