Barry Johnson: For Real Though

Known for his annually shifting studio practice, Johnson’s new series focuses on interiority, as subjects lounge in the intimacy of living rooms strewn with books and potted plants. Johnson’s figures, oftentimes self-portraits, cast their gaze at or directly beyond the viewer, activating space like a subtle gesture to start a conversation. Stark, geometric lines jut across the backdrops, livened with soft-pastel pinks, blues, and yellows. Vibrant walls adorned with reproductions of Johnson’s own paintings enrich the mirror-like themes of the series, inviting questions of visibility, spectatorship, and authorship.

Barry Johnson has received awards including the Edwin T. Pratt Award, smART Ventures Award, and the GAP Award. He was also a finalist for the Betty Bowen Award, the Neddy and Conductive Garboil Grant. Johnson’s work has been shown and collected throughout the nation. He has also created multiple permanent artworks regionally, including an immersive mural for Facebook’s Bellevue Office, a bronze sculpture of advocate multi-dimensional artist Dr. James Washington, and a permanent fabrication for Midtown Square. Johnson has also held residencies at Amazon, Facebook, and the Seattle Hebrew Academy.