Matthew Johnson – First Light
Few artists bewitch art lovers like Matthew Johnson. His abstractions steal away the most basic premise of how we view art – our eyes ability to focus, and our minds ability to tell photograph from painting. He toys with us, and the popularity of his work tells us that we adore playing the game with him.
The Australian Art Collector magazine sums up his Merge and Side series well enough:
“With his variations of shimmer, blur, and fuzz, it’s as if Johnson is withholding the possibility of focus, teasing viewers in a finely crafted display of colour and pigment. Small orbs arranged over a grid dance and pulse, shifting in and out of sharpness, sometimes in striated smears that refuse any kind of viewing fixity.”
His distinct style runs the gamut across whimsically fluffy pastels, discordant abruptness, and as with this piece featured in the Melbourne Long Weekend auction, the darker brooding tones of the night.
Johnson is hugely popular with Charleston’s patrons both for his style and his collectability. As an artist his commissions are enviable – moving across fashion, architecture and design; his exhibitions are worldwide, and his reputation grows solidly year on year. His work is definitely worth the investment and always hotly contested at auction.
For more on Matthew Johnson