Amy Johnson

Boise, ID

Although many places feel like home, Johnson currently resides in Boise, Idaho. Her work explores the dark realities facing the natural world, embracing the challenge of presenting contrasting themes and layers of interpretation. For example, depicting a changing landscape and threatened animal species in a way that is intriguing, lovely to look at and spend time with, yet holds recognizable sadness that creates thought, conversation, and compassion. Johnson is interested in relationships that present tension: seductive, jaw droppingly beautiful, dream-like subjects where the reality of the object or idea at hand is devastating, even ugly. Her creative practice is defined by fearless experimentation in order to best translate her ideas. She begins with thoughts and questions that come to her by way of personal experience. Clay, textiles, printmaking, drawing, watercolor, photography, performance, installation, video, and most recently, glass, all have a presence in her portfolio. Johnson’s work is a reflection of her life, inspired by the surrounding landscape, political and social issues, fairy tales, art history, and architecture, as well as her former teachers and peers. In addition to formal research, she also relies on her intuition while working through both formal and conceptual decisions.

Johnson’s life as an artist is about problem solving and embracing the discomfort that comes with pushing and developing one’s work. Every new idea is an opportunity for both artistic and personal growth. Her intention is to make this world a better and more thoughtful place.