Night Train

Willard Johnson’s exhibition in the Speck Gallery this August is an immersive journey through the realms of dreams and memories. Having lived in seven countries by adulthood, Johnson's unique experiences blend seamlessly into his artwork, creating a rich tapestry of cultural and personal history. His work captures the essence of fleeting connections, with people crossing paths in metaphorical train stations—symbolic of life's transient interactions. Each painting begins with a Google Earth Street View image, a digital anchor to his past geographies, evolving through meticulous layers of revisions to encapsulate the fluid nature of memory.

Johnson's artistic process is both innovative and intuitive, primarily using oil, acrylic, and flashe paint on canvas. He incorporates collaged elements made from dried palettes of oil on paper plates, adding a tangible texture to his pieces. This spontaneity is key to his practice; he embraces the unpredictable nature of creation, allowing colors, landscapes, and even digital glitches from Google Earth photos to shape the final composition. This method infuses his work with dreamlike surrealism, where the familiar and the fantastical coexist harmoniously.

The end goal of Johnson's work is to capture a sense of liveliness and engagement. A painting is complete when it feels like it is staring back at him, alive and ready to surprise both the artist and the viewer. This August, visitors to Speck Gallery can expect to be transported into a world where dreams and reality merge, showcasing the ephemeral beauty of life's intersections and the enduring power of memory. Johnson's art invites viewers to reflect on their own experiences and the fleeting moments that shape their lives.

The show can be viewed anytime in the Speck Gallery through the month of August: Monday – Friday from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. The works can also be viewed and purchased on our online gallery through September.