Dion Johnson is a Los Angeles based artist. His paintings combine and explore dynamic opposites: expansiveness and compression, surface and depth, and darkness and light. Gradient color fields are juxtaposed to and interwoven with planes of precise hardedge abstraction. These color fades are both intimate and vast – they may reflect internal moods with wandering thoughts and insightful realizations, or they may suggest vivid sunsets on Mercury or Mars with chemical skies and radiant perspectives. The hardedge shapes seem to reach up and stretch down; their elongated curves, interlocking contours, and bold colors allude to kinetic sensations and evolving environments.
It’s something like shifting gears in a high-performance automobile, only smoother and swifter and, when you stand back and take in the complex rhythms that Johnson has orchestrated, defined by a kind of simultaneity that is not possible in race cars, whose engines have gears that must be moved through sequentially.
– David Pagel, ‘Abstract Painting in Los Angeles,’ Gallery Magazine, June 2017
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2024 “Chromatic Coordinates,” Keller Gallery, Point Loma Nazarene University, San Diego, CA
2023 ”Color Play,” L. A. Louver, Venice, CA.
“High-Def Color Phase,” Bentley Gallery, Phoenix, AZ.
2022 ”Vibrant,” Holly Johnson Gallery, Dallas, TX.
2018 “Feel the Sky, Ten Year Survey,” Azusa Pacific University, Azusa, CA.
2017 “Color Chords,” Western Project, Los Angeles, CA.
2016 “Optic Energy,” Holly Johnson Gallery, Dallas, TX.
2015 “Luminous Trajectories,” Bentley Gallery, Phoenix, AZ.
“Chromatic Momentum,” De Buck Gallery, New York, NY.
2013 “Vivid Slipstream,” Western Project, Los Angeles, CA.
2012 “Velocity,” De Buck Gallery, New York, NY.
2011 “New Paintings,” Marty Walker Gallery, Dallas, TX.
“Dion Johnson,” Western Project, Los Angeles, CA.
2009 “Brilliant Frequencies,” Rebecca Ibel Gallery, Columbus, OH.
“Shadows and Vistas,” Project 210, Pasadena, CA.
“Twilight,” Cypress College Fine Arts Gallery, Cypress, CA.
2008 “Isotope Series,” Rebecca Ibel Gallery, Columbus, OH.
2007 “Works on Paper,” Empathy Design Company, South Pasadena, CA.
2005 “Radiance,” Carl Berg Gallery, Los Angeles, CA.
“Continuous Transmission,” Desiree Synder Gallery, Sarasota, FL.
2004 “New Paintings: Project Room,” Stephen Stux Gallery, New York, NY.
“Wow and Flutter,” Rebecca Ibel Gallery, Columbus, OH.
2002 “Popsicle Scenarios,” Rebecca Ibel Gallery, Columbus, OH.
“Softer Frequencies,” Richard Heller Gallery, Santa Monica, CA.
2001 “Paintings,” Bill Maynes Gallery, New York, NY.
2000 “Dion Johnson,” Rebecca Ibel Gallery, Columbus, OH.
Two-Person Exhibitions
2023 “Two of Us, Dion Johnson & Michael Reafsnyder,” Contemporary Art Matters, Columbus, OH.
2020 “Future Perfect, Dion Johnson & Christopher Pate,” Modfellows Art Gallery, Nashville, TN.
2017 “Dion Johnson & David Skeens, New Editions,” Joseph Editions, Columbus, OH.
2013 “Tripod, Dion Johnson & Kyla Hansen,” Peggy Phelps Gallery Claremont Graduate University, Claremont, CA.
Selected Group Exhibitions
2023 “RED,” L. A. Louver, Venice, CA.
“The Flower Show,” L. A. Louver, Venice, CA.
“States of Being,” AMcE Creative Arts, Seattle, WA.
2022 “Abstraction not Abstraction,” PRJCTLA, Los Angeles, CA.
2021 “In Sequence,” Holly Johnson Gallery, Dallas, TX.
“Taking Interest, Summer in the City,” Contemporary Art Matters, online.
“Flying Colors,” Contemporary Art Matters, Columbus, OH.
“Chromatic,” Bentley Gallery, Phoenix, AZ.
2020 “L.A. Stories,” Leo Castelli Gallery, Brenau University, Gainesville, GA.
“$2,500 x 18,” Bentley Gallery, Phoenix, AZ.
“End of Summer,” Contemporary Art Matters, Columbus, OH.
2019 “Driving Forces,” The Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus, OH.
“Los Angeles Painting,” Lancaster Museum of Art and History, Lancaster, CA.
“Summertime Blues,” Holly Johnson Gallery, Dallas, TX.
“Pulled in Brooklyn,” International Print Center, New York, NY.
“Color Spectrum,” Bentley Gallery, Phoenix, AZ.
2018 “Evolver,” L. A. Louver, Venice, CA.
“Magic,” Roberts Projects, Culver City, CA.
“Western Project – Werkartz Chinatown,” Los Angeles, CA.
“For the Love of Painting,” Contemporary Art Matters, Columbus, OH.
“Inaugural Exhibition,” Contemporary Art Matters, Columbus, OH.
2017 “Los Angeles Painting, Formalism to Street Art,” Bruno David Gallery, St. Louis, MO.
“Abstraction in the Singular: Part I,” curated by Dr. Grant Vetter, Bentley Gallery, Phoenix, AZ.
“Karl & Beverly Benjamin Fellowship in Art Recipients Exhibition” Peggy Phelps Gallery Claremont Graduate
University. Claremont CA.
2016 “Manmade,” Holly Johnson Gallery, Dallas, TX.
“Western Project @ Jaus,” Jaus, Los Angeles, CA.
“Intent Fortuity,” Jamie Brooks Fine Art, Costa Mesa, CA.
2015 “Surface to Edge,” Cypress College Art Gallery, Cypress, CA.
2014 “NOWism,” Pizzuti Collection, Columbus, OH.
“Summer Selections,” De Buck Gallery, New York, NY.
“11 Years – Anniversary Group Show,” Western Project, Los Angeles, CA.
“6018 Wilshire,” Edward Cella Art and Architecture, Los Angeles, CA.
2013 “Colormetry,” Lancaster Museum of Art and History, Lancaster, CA.
2012 “Summer Selections,” De Buck Gallery, New York, NY.
2011 “About Paint,” Carl Berg Projects, West Hollywood, CA.
2010 “Set Theory,” Torrance Art Museum, Torrance, CA.
“Construction Zone,” Western Project, Los Angles, CA.
2009 “Western Project: The First Six Years,” Western Project, Culver City, CA.
“Drawings,” Rebecca Ibel Gallery, Columbus, OH.
2008 “Plush,” curated by Martin Durazo, Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock, Los Angeles, CA.
2007 “Family Garden,” curated by Shana Nys Dambrot, Elizabeth Paige Smith Atelier, Venice, CA.
2006 “Dion Johnson, Sush Machida Gaikotsu & Kelly McCormick,” Rebecca Ibel Gallery, Columbus, OH.
2004 “Observations,” Carl Berg Gallery, Los Angeles, CA.
“Reordering Reality: Collecting Contemporary Art,” The Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus, OH.
2003 “Fresh: Works on Paper, A Fifth Anniversary,” James Kelly Contemporary, Santa Fe, NM.
“Ten Years in Columbus, Part 1,” Rebecca Ibel Gallery, Columbus, OH.States
2022 • Zotos, John, “Vibrant,” Visual Art Source, January 18, 2022
2019 • Tonguette, Peter ‘Driving Forces,’ The Columbus Dispatch, November 17
2018 • Wood, Eve. ‘Magic at Roberts Projects,’ Art and Cake, August 10, online
• Osberg, Annbel. ‘Gallery Rounds: Dion Johnson,’ Artillery, February 20, online
2017 • Pagel, David. ‘Abstract Painting in Los Angeles,’ Gallery Magazine, June, p. 18 ill
• Brewer, Gary. ‘Studio Visit: Dion Johnson, The Curvature of Light,’ Art and Cake, July, online
• Tonguette, Peter ‘Elegant, spare design transforms text into art,’ The Columbus Dispatch, February 12, p. E5 ill
2016 • Carasso, Roberta. ‘Continuing and Recommended Exhibition,’ Art Scene, February, online
2015 • Vetter, Grant. ‘Dion Johnson at Bentley Gallery,’ The Arts Beacon, December, online
• Bridget, Gleeson. ‘Color in Motion: Dion Johnson’s Abstract Paintings of Light, Shape and Color,’ Artsy Editorial, January 8, online
2013 • Nichols, Kimberly. ‘Colormetry Uses Color as Instigator,’ Droste Effect, February 25, p 44 ill
• Frank , Peter. ‘Colormetery,’ Artillery, March 4, p. 112
• Bush, Bill. ‘The Opposites of Art,’ Huffington Post, June 10, online
2012 • ‘The Radiant West Coast of Dion Johnson,’ LanciaTrendVisions.com, November 15, online
• Esterow, Milton. ‘The ARTnews 200 Top Collectors,’ ARTnews, Summer, p. 95 ill
2011 • Fitzpatrick, Kyle. ‘Dion Johnson Melts Color,’ Los Angeles I’m Yours, December 20, online
• Lima, Benjamin. ‘Critic’s Pick,’ Art Forum, October, online
• Daichendt, G. James. ‘Continuing and Recommended Exhibition,’ Art Scene, September, online
• ‘Dion Johnson: New Paintings,’ Artweek.LA, August, online
2009 • Cohen, David. ‘Pic of the Fairs’ Artcritical, December 6, online
• Yates, Christopher A. ‘Two Views Challenge Senses,’ The Columbus Dispatch, December 9. p. E6 ill
2008 • Nys Dambrot, Shana. ‘Plush,’ Flavorpill Los Angles, November 7, online
2005 • Myers, Holly. ‘Around the Galleries,’ Los Angeles Times, December 2, p. E30 ill
2004 • Fryer-Kohles, Jeanne. ‘Painter crafts, mixed media into his personal diary,’ The Columbus Dispatch, January 25, p. D4
• Starker, Melissa. ‘Entering The Atmosphere,’ Alive, January 21, p. 21 ill
2003 • Fryer-Kohles, Jeanne. ‘Sextet’s Modern Pieces Sparkle,’ The Columbus Dispatch, April 6. p.F4
2002 • Fryer-Kohles, Jeanne. ‘Childhood’s Mystery Seen in Sunny Visions,’ The Columbus Dispatch, March, p. G7
2001 • Johnson, Ken. ‘Bill Maynes Exhibition Review,’ The New York Times, October 19, p. E40
• Scheiber, Curtis. ‘Dion Johnson, Paintings That Dogs and Cats Can Understand,’ Dialogue, January/February, p. 28 (cover shot)
1998 • Hall, Jacqueline. ‘Images Won’t Stand Still,’ The Columbus Dispatch, December 6
2000 Master of Fine Arts, Claremont Graduate University, Claremont, CA
1997 Bachelor of Fine Arts, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
1996 Yale Norfolk Summer School of Music and Art, Norfolk, CT