A Sense of Place

 A Sense of Place: Landscape Paintings

October 18 to December 15, 2021. 

A Sense of Place features a collection of acrylic paintings on canvas by Johnson, the painter and longtime Bloomington-Normal resident which depict many locations within Central Illinois. The subjects painted may look familiar to Midwesterners, even if viewers cannot place the exact locations that inspired the artwork. The paintings themselves – mediated through the painter’s eyes and mind – communicate Johnson's intimate experience with the American Midwest. 

Through Johnson’s adept understanding of his medium and command over technical elements like composition, color, and texture, he intertwines deeper emotions and insights with each landscape, thus conveying imagery of real places that reach beyond what one would be able to see with the naked eye. 

During the show, Johnson asked visitors to submit questions about the work displayed; he posted responses to an ongoing video dialog that run in the Gallery space during the show.

Reception: Tuesday, November 30 at 4:00 p.m.

About the artist 

Douglas C. Johnson has been a landscape painter for over 30 years. His paintings document his personal resonance with America's Midwest. In his work, he deftly explores the communities and byways as parts of Midwesterners’ communal participation in our environment. 

Johnson earned his Bachelor of Studio Art at Illinois State University and his Master of Fine Arts at Northern Illinois University. 

Random Acts of Knowledge S1 Ep75: Painting midwestern spaces - artist Douglas Johnson