Oliver Johnson

Born in Luton (1972) lives and works in Valencia

A painter sees the appearance of something and tries to imitate it without reproducing the thing itself. It is a way of relating to our perspective where we perceive ourselves and everything around us, a way to produce phenomena which are similar to the real world. Like a map of reality which must simplify as much as it mimics in order to convey a certain reality innate in everything, natures' unpredictable but inescapable order, chaos, reality. Analysing everyday things, reveals the essential strangeness of what we come to accept as ordinary, things that are ubiquitous enough to have become invisible. For example roofs, walls, the floor and the ceiling are rectangles, but we don't see them that way, they are elusive forms that change with the slightest movement. A similar phenomenon occurs with colour, it is the absence or presence of varying amounts of light. The surface of the painting creates images, which arise from the interplay of the colour with the reflections of the surroundings. Therefore the images are not static, this provokes the spectator to change their perspective which in turn changes the variables both within the painting and reflected by it.
The colour, the nature of the pigment, their scales and values become a self-sufficient language and need no further justification than that of just being paint; the gesture disappears along with the brushstroke, tactile qualities also vanish along with texture. It is in its essence materialistic, there is an objectivity of appearance as perception. The painting is converted into surface, it is what occurs on the aluminium, without relief, almost without physical weight. The painting will exist as an experience in the eyes of the sensitive observer standing before it.
As Pollock said there is no need to search, just look passively: painting is to be enjoyed in the same way that music should be enjoyed.

 

EDUCATION
Foundation Course. Portsmouth Art College,1992.
Fine Arts Degree, Southampton Institute, 1992-95.
Doctorate Studies, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia.

INDIVIDUAL EXHIBITIONS
2004.  Galería La Nave. Valencia.
2003.  Club Diario Levante. Valencia.
           Galería Pilar Parra. Madrid
2002.  MUVIM. Sala Parpalló. Valencia
2001.  Galería Pilar Parra. Madrid.
           Galería Edgar Neville. Alfafar. Valencia
2000.  Bancaja Foundation, Sagunto
1999.  Casa de Cultura de Paterna.

COLLECTIVE EXHIBITIONS AND ART FAIRS (Selection)

2013.   "Repetition, Repetition, Repetition." Space8 Tokyo Japan.
2012.   Simple Synthetics (Imaginary Japanese architecture),
            Kobo Chika Gallery Tokyo Japan.
            "Poetry and Colour", Fundación Chirivella Soriano.
2011.   Parlamento de La Rioja, Logroño.
            "Encapsulados en Valencia - Vietnam". Finca Roja- Hanoi.
2010.   Cartografías de la Creatividad 100% Valencianos. Centro del Carmen
            Valencia, Museo de Arte Moderno de Santo Domingo (República
            Dominicana), Centro de Desarrollo de las Artes Visuales de La Habana, Cuba.
2009.   Abstraccion[s]. Sala Josep Renau, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia.
            Encapsulados. Albion Hotel Miami
            “Beautiful Freaks” Forja Arte Contemporáneo. Valencia.
2008.   ARCO Madrid, Stand ARS FUNDUM.
            “20 Years, 20 Erasmus” Sala Josep Renau, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia
            Seville Biennial 2008, Stand ARS FUNDUM
2007.   Valencia Biennial 2007.
            ARCO Madrid, Stand Galería La Nave.
2006.   Sala Parpalló. 25 Years of Art in Valencia
            ARCO Madrid, Stand Galería La Nave.
2005.   “Between the Lines”, CAB. Centro de Arte Caja de Burgos
            ARCO Madrid, Stand Galería La Nave.
2004.   ARCO Madrid, Stand Galería Pilar Parra.
2003.   Galería La Nave. Valencia.
            Milan Art Fair, Stand Galería Pilar Parra.
            ARCO Madrid, Stand Galería Pilar Parra
2002.   “Sedimentation/ Ornamentation/ DIY/ Parody, Questions of Contemporary
            Abstraction”, Casa Díaz Cassou. Murcia
            XVI Biennial of Zamora
            “From the `90`s” MUVIM. Valencia (Exposición itinerante)
            ARCO Madrid, Stand Galería Pilar Parra.
2001.   The Unión Fenosa Museum of Contemporary Arte
            Casa de America. Madrid. (Generación 2001)
            Punto Gallery. Valencia. (Fundación Mainel Exhibiton)
2000.   Botanical Gardens, Madrid. (Generación 2000)
            (Touring Exhibition: Barcelona, Valladolid, Seville y Valencia)
1999.   “Louder than Bombs” Millais Gallery. Southampton.
1998.   Oviedo Fine Arts Museum. Oviedo Biennial
            Bancaja Foundation. Valencia. (Bancaja Prize)
            Benissa Cultural Centre. Alicante. (José Segrelles Prize)
PRIZES AND GRANTS

2012.  First Prize "XVII Premi de Pintura Ciutat D'Algemesí".
2011.  Work purchased for the Parlamento de La Rioja Collection.
2009.  First Prize XXXI Premio Internacional de Pintura Caja de Extremadura
           First Prize X Premio de Pintura Gestores. Colegio Oficial de Gestores
           Administrativos de Valencia.
2008.  First Prize XXXII “Premio de Pintura Vila de Pego”
           First Prize XXXIX “Salón de Otoño Premio Ateneo Mercantil de Valencia”
2007.  Work selected in the “IX Premios Ángel de Pintura”
2006.  Work selected in the “Certamen Nacional de Pintura de Albacete”
           Work selected in the “Certamen Nacional de Pintura de Valdepeñas”
2005.  Work selected in the “VII Premios Ángel de Pintura”
2004.  Work purchased in the “Certamen Nacional de Pintura Hotel Wellington”
           Work selected in the “VI Premios Ángel de Pintura”
2003.  Honorific Mention in the “V Premios Ángel de Pintura”
           Honorific Mention in the “IV Premio de Pintura, Colegio Oficial de Gestores
           Administrativos de Valencia.”
2002.  First Prize “XXVI Premio de Pintura Vila de Pego”
           First Prize “Tercer Centenario Caja Madrid De Arte Contemporáneo”
           First Prize “Premio de Pintura IV Certamen Fundación Mainel”
           Work purchased in the “Certamen Nacional de Pintura Unión Fenosa”
           Work selected in the “III Certamen Nacional de Pintura Todisa”
2001.  First Prize “Generación 2001 Caja Madrid”
           Work selected in the “II Certamen Nacional de Pintura Todisa”
2000.  Grant “Beca Alfons Roig”. Valencia.
           Work selected in the “Generación 2000 Caja Madrid”
1999.  Project selected for the Edgar Neville Gallery, Alfafar.
1998.  Work purchased in the “Bienal de Paterna”
           Honorific Mention in the “I Certamen Miradas” (Alicante)
           First Prize “Certamen Nacional de Pintura José Segrelles”
           Second Prize “XXV Edición Premio Bancaja”
           First Prize “Certamen Artes Plásticas Salvador Soria” (Villa de Benissa)
           Second Prize “Premio de Pintura, Real Academia de Valencia”

COLLECTIONS:

           Diputación de Valencia
           Parlamento de La Rioja Collection
           CAB. Centro de Arte Caja de Burgos
           Museo de Arte Contemporáneo Unión Fenosa (MACUF). A Coruña
           Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Pego, Alicante
           Coleccion Banco de Valencia
           Colección CAM
           Universidad Politécnica de Valencia
           Colección Premios Ángel de Pintura
           Fundación BANCAIXA. Valencia
           Fundación Caja Madrid
           Caja de Extremadura
           Fundación Mainel
           Fundación Wellington
           Ateneo Mercantil de Valencia
           Colegio Mayor La Alameda
           Ayuntamiento de Benissa
           Ayuntamiento de Paterna
           Ayuntamiento de Alfafar
           Ayuntamiento de Albaida
           Ayuntamiento de Algemesí
           Colegio Oficial de Gestores Administrativos de Valencia