BIOGRAPHY
Lacy B. Johnson currently works as a Visual Artist in Midtown, Jackson and is a Gallery Coordinator at Pearl River Glass Studio in Jackson, Mississippi. She resides in the historic Belhaven Neighborhood along with her husband, Patrick, and their cat, Sunny.
Lacy grew up in Greenwood, Mississippi where the landscape and culture deeply influenced her artwork. She attended the University of Mississippi where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Painting and minored in Psychology. In 2007, she moved to Savannah, Georgia to begin studies at Savannah College of Art and Design where she attained a Master of Fine Arts degree and was named the 2010 Outstanding Student Leader.
Johnson creates acrylic paintings based on ideas of transformation and adaptation. Lacy has received such honors as the New York City Workspace in 2010 and the Student Opportunity Fellowship Grant from Savannah College of Art and Design. In New York, she worked at Pierogi Gallery and held an Open Studio. Redeemer Presbyterian Church featured her on the Easter Bulletin. Johnson’s work has been shown throughout Mississippi, in Georgia, and New York. It is included in several private collections including that of the Savannah College of Art and Design and the Telfair Museum of Art.
ARTIST STATEMENT
My paintings investigate growth, transformation and adaptation. Studying the natural rhythms, patterns and color found in nature allows me to better understand and express transitions in my own life. Observation of plant life is essential to my practice, and engaging in the creative process allows me to explore the depth of my work.
My paintings record a personal tale of longing and hope. They are records of discovery and failure. Each choice on canvas is an active battle to understand and overcome. Struggle is evident in the process of mark making, the physicality of the application of paint, and the building of layers. By taking existing forms and reinterpreting them through layers of paint on paper and canvas, growth takes root in the form of abstraction.
The differing scale of the paintings opens up the possibility to explore surface in a more physical manner. Both monumental and seemingly insignificant marks work together to tell a story. Color decisions are intuitive and spontaneous. By retaining bits of information from past images I am able to record growth and the larger story starts to unfold. A higher moment is at bay and each mark retains the fleeting nature of the objects around us and records my involvement in process.
