Notes on the Exhibition (by Lori Verderame, Guest Curator)

Notice: This material Copyright © Lori Verderame 2001-2002
These notes are protected under copyright law and cannot be reproduced without the expressed written consent of the author, Lori Verderame. Contact Masterpiece Galleries at 215.862.4444.

....The broad concept of marrying fine and commercial art would sustain Johnson's career for many decades. He worked in the fine art realm through his watercolor compositions that remain highly sought after with art collectors and galleries. He also produced numerous pieces of commercial art via the whimsical pen and ink drawings called Statements....

...From the discipline of Barnet to the creative spirit of Andrade and the colorism of Piper to the linear details of Drucker and Bileck, Johnson developed his own individual style and gained an understanding of the discipline and business of art....

...Like many American painters, the portable qualities of the watercolor medium prompted Johnson to choose watercolor while traveling. Johnson's watercolors are romantic and representational compositions that Johnson painted both from nature directly and from memory....

...Johnson's breathtaking watercolor images were representative of the rich American watercolor tradition of Winslow Homer, N. C. Wyeth, and Edward Hopper...In watercolor, Johnson produced images of Central Pennsylvania's farms and quaint towns. He also painted compositions based on his extensive travels abroad....

...Bruce Johnson enjoyed the prospect of bringing art to the community and sharing his work with Everyman. With his interest in "bringing art to the man on the street," Johnson conceived of and successfully marketed his pen and ink drawings called Statements.... He used popular images from American culture and the cartooning tradition as did other artists of the 1980s including Keith Haring and Kenny Scharf....

...His work received acclaim in the U.S. and abroad. Locally, Bruce Johnson was well known for his community service and dedication to bringing art to children and seniors. His prominence and artistic talent attract private collectors, corporate commissions, and international charity organizations....

...Today, his watercolors and pen and ink drawings are widely collected in the Central Pennsylvania region and far beyond its borders....

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