NZ artist Jess Johnson brings another dimension to Populate!

14 May 2013

New Zealand-born artist Jess Johnson brings another dimension to Populate!

New Zealand-born artist Jess Johnson brings a whole other world to Christchurch through a series of intricate and fantastical new works in her latest exhibition.

Wurm Whorl Narthex, showing at 209 Tuam Street, is one of 20 exhibitions and presentations that have been popping up around the central city as part of Christchurch Art Gallery’s Populate! programme, held to celebrate its tenth birthday this month.

Based in Melbourne, where she established the well-known Hell Gallery, Johnson uses ink, Copic markers and collage to evoke other worlds, future realms and parallel realities. She presents 11 new works on paper in Wurm Whorl Narthex, extending her elaborate patterns and arcane images across the walls of the exhibition space itself.

Inspired by exceptionally unique worldviews and belief systems, Johnson says her favourite state is spending hours covering a blank page with detail and patterns.

“The ability to manifest your own reality is extremely appealing,” says Johnson.

“I’ve never been satisfied with what religion or society has offered up as a framework for existence. Inventing and illustrating my own version of reality keeps me satisfied and endlessly entertained.

For viewers of the exhibitions, Johnson suggests that the exhibition maybe “like peeking through the giant Stargate portal into a small recess of my brain.”

Gallery director Jenny Harper says Johnson’s exhibition is thought-provoking and certain to intrigue visitors.

“The exhibition considers civilisation from a variety of unique viewpoints and suggests new ways of how we’ve come to understand where we came from, who we are and what surrounds us.”

“A lot of my favourite drawing comes from teenagers, awesome nerds or outsider artists,” says Johnson.

“Artwork that is done by people who would never visit a gallery and wouldn’t really consider what they’re doing as art. They’re just utilizing drawing as the most immediate tool they have to demonstrate how much they seriously love Twilight or Dungeons and Dragons.”

Wurm Whorl Narthex will run until Sunday 23 June 2013.

For more information about the Gallery’s Populate! programme visit www.christchurchartgallery.org.nz

Background information:

• The Gallery building is currently closed for earthquake repairs and will hopefully re-open in the first half of 2015.
• Though the primary structure of the building performed very well during and after the earthquakes, and there was virtually no damage to collections inside, over time liquefaction under the Gallery has bent its foundations and its floors are no longer level.
• The Gallery's foundations will be re-levelled and the building base isolated prior to the repair of the façade and interiors.

ENDS

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