From Elsewhere

Johnny McKee's newest body of work, "From Elsewhere" is a series of moody, mysterious paintings and collages that stem from his imagination. 

McKee is known for working with motifs such as stars, dots, and clouds. "From Elsewhere" further explores McKee's iconic clouds but with a distinctly different take. Clouds have been an essential motif in McKee's work for so long that he doesn't remember exactly when he started painting them.

As an artist, McKee doesn't want to make the same thing over and over again– he is always desiring to evolve. McKee works intuitively, following the instinctual directions in which he feels pulled. Though he chose to work with the familiar motif of clouds– the clouds are mysterious forms that shift and merge with other landscapes or worlds. Some clouds resemble waterfalls or UFOs and invite the viewer to approach them with curious eyes.

The work's title "From Elsewhere" refers to a place of fiction within McKee's imagination. When titling this body of work McKee considered when someone says, "Sorry I’m not paying attention– My mind is elsewhere." This work explores the places one might go when one's mind wanders. "These are from the peripheral of what we are familiar with," Says McKee. 

Mckee offers a world that holds familiarity but takes us somewhere new. "From Elsewhere" allows viewers to get lost in the feeling of the ethereal, and through McKee's strange worlds, we encounter the power of our own imaginations and where they might take us.

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