Aaron Johnson Gone Fishin’
Gone Fishin’ marked Aaron Johnson’s debut solo exhibition at Joshua Liner Gallery, featuring a vibrant and provocative mix of reverse paintings, sock paintings, sculptures, and blotted works on paper. Drawing on themes of leisure disrupted by violence and excess, Johnson used unconventional materials, such as donated socks, to create grotesque, tactile figures and surreal Americana scenes that challenge the viewer’s sense of comfort. Works like Gone Fishin’ and Gone Truckin’ combined humor with social critique, illustrating the tension between escape and chaos in contemporary life.
Aaron Johnson lives and works in Brooklyn and earned his MFA from Hunter College in 2005. His work is included in major public and private collections, including The Museum of Modern Art (New York), Colección Solo (Madrid), and the Frederick R. Weisman Foundation. He has exhibited at institutions such as MASS MoCA, the Knoxville Museum of Art, and the Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art, and is the recipient of numerous fellowships and residencies. Johnson’s experimental approach and bold visual language have been featured in The New York Times, ArtNews, and The Village Voice.
Gone Fishin', 2017, Acrylic and socks on canvas on panel, 72 x 108 inches (182.9 x 274.3 cm)
Cheeseburger Cowboy, 2017, Acrylic on polyester knit mesh, 40 x 32 inches (101.6 x 81.28 cm)
Hot Tubbin', 2017, Acrylic and socks on canvas and panel, 40 x 40 inches (101.6 x 101.6 cm)
Gone Truckin', 2017, Acrylic on polyester knit mesh, 56 x 60 inches (142.2 x 152.4 cm)
Turkey, 2017, Acrylic and socks, 6 3/4 x 14 x 17 inches (17.1 x 35.6 x 43.2 cm)
Sweet Heart Burger, 2017, Acrylic and socks, 4 3/4 x 4 3/4 x 5 1/4 inches (12.1 x 12.1 x 13.3 cm)