In F. Geoffrey Johnson’s art, the message lives in the material

By Angela Oliver | ArtsXchange Media

From poetry to found objects, the Atlanta artist is building a distinctive body of work, earning recognition in ArtsXchange juried exhibitions and making a case for a bigger place in the art world. Visit the Jack Sinclair Gallery to see his work in the current group photography exhibition, Between the Noise.

F. Geoffrey Johnson isn't interested in making art that looks like somebody else's. He has a simple philosophy: "If I've seen it, then there's no sense in me doing it."

It's a fitting approach for an artist whose work doesn't always begin with a traditional canvas, paintbrush, or even a clear picture of what he's about to create. Satellite dishes, bottle caps, reclaimed wood, hair and identification bracelets have all found their way into his work. But these aren't materials chosen simply for their unusual appearance. 

Visitors to the Jack Sinclair Gallery at ArtsXchange may recognize Johnson's work from several juried exhibitions, where his distinctive pieces have earned multiple honors, including first place for his assemblage, america, take a knee 4 me in 2022; and third place for his collage piece Negrito in this summer’s Sonic Impressions: Abstract Visual Art Inspired by Music. 

His work has appeared in exhibitions exploring subjects ranging from environmental concerns to identity, history and the meaning of beauty. And while the awards are welcome, Johnson is far from finished making his mark.

His growing presence in the gallery reflects something central to the ArtsXchange mission: creating opportunities for independent working artists to exhibit their work, build recognition and reach new audiences. At the Sinclair Gallery, emerging artists share the walls with established and veteran artists. The opportunity isn't reserved for those with a long exhibition history or an impressive list of credentials. The work gets a chance to speak for itself.

For Johnson, that opportunity has been part of a much longer artistic journey that didn't begin with visual art at all.

A writer first, an artist by discovery

Johnson describes himself foremost as a writer. A poet, specifically. The St. Louis native and Morehouse College alum began writing in the 1970s, eventually publishing in literary journals across the country and internationally, including The Caribbean Writer and a journal published in India.

His introduction to Atlanta's arts community came through poetry and a connection with ArtsXchange co-founder Alice Lovelace. After submitting work for one of her literary projects, Johnson was published in the journal and invited to participate in a reading. That experience introduced him to a wider circle of Atlanta artists and writers, including members of African Americans for the Arts, where he eventually served as president.

Visual art came later, almost unexpectedly.

After years of telling his partner that anybody could paint, she finally challenged him to put that theory into practice. For his birthday, they made a trip to the art store. Johnson bought canvases, brushes and paint, then returned for a few more supplies over the next couple of days.

“I just started painting,” he said. “And not having a clue as to how, why, or what, I just started painting.”

His first landscape was a small canvas with a sky featuring 20 or 30 colors. He wanted to use every color he’d purchased. The result surprised his partner, and apparently Johnson, too.

But painting on traditional canvases wouldn’t hold his attention for long. He began experimenting with materials, eventually discovering a more unconventional surface: discarded satellite dishes.

When cable television replaced satellite service in many homes, the dishes were being given away or tossed out. Johnson saw possibilities. He began painting on them, attaching other materials and transforming the communication devices into sculptural surfaces for telling stories.

“They’re communication devices,” he said. “So instead of a canvas –– a canvas is nothing but a canvas, but a satellite dish used as a canvas is a communication device first, then (I assemble) other things on there to communicate a story.”

Every material has a meaning

Johnson’s work often tackles political and historical subjects, particularly stories about Black identity, the legacy of enslavement and the ways those histories continue to shape the present.

As a former carpenter and title searcher, Johnson treats every component of his assemblages as a historical anchor. Nothing is placed merely for decoration.

“Every piece of material should have a meaning in the art, not just something put together to be cute,” Johnson said as he described a piece with wood sourced from the Fulton County Courthouse. “Like the board that goes across (one of my pieces), it’s an oak board because of the many enslaved people that were hung from oak trees.”

His approach draws on his experience as a poet, his independent research and an ongoing curiosity about artists and their processes. He has studied the work of artists such as David Hammons, whose use of unconventional materials helped deepen Johnson's understanding of materiality. He has also spent time learning from other artists through conversations, exhibitions, books and museum visits.

He resists the familiar label of “self-taught,” pointing out that artists learn in all kinds of ways, often outside the classroom.

For Johnson, the connection between writing and visual art is straightforward. 

“The visual art is just an extension of telling those stories,” he said.

That storytelling is evident in pieces he has exhibited at ArtsXchange. In one work from his Identity Theft series, hair and identification bracelets become a way to examine the historical erasure of Black identity. Johnson connects the work to the naming and renaming of enslaved Africans brought to the Americas, whose identities were stripped away before they ever reached shore.

“We're still dealing with that now,” he said.

In another work, for the annual climate-themed show Toxic Beauty, bottle caps come together in the form of a wild bird, using discarded materials to draw attention to environmental concerns and the impact of human consumption.

His approach asks viewers to look a little closer. It catches the eye because of its unusual construction, but the story gives viewers a reason to stay and examine.

Recognition, on his own terms

Johnson’s work has traveled beyond Atlanta, with exhibitions in New York, Chicago, and throughout Georgia. He has been included in juried exhibitions at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago and has continued to submit work to exhibitions where selection is based on the artwork itself.

That distinction matters to him.

“Somebody's had to think the work was interesting enough to put in the show,” he said, reflecting on the process of being juried into exhibitions by people who may know nothing about him or his background.

His repeated selections and award-winning placements at ArtsXchange are another affirmation of his artistic strengths. Still, Johnson is working to expand his reach.

“I need it to be in the High Museum,” he said, without hesitation.

He believes much of his work belongs in a museum collection, and he’s not shy about making that case. His ambition isn’t about personal recognition, though. He wants the work to be seen, considered, and preserved.

“I just don’t want it to be in a dumpster when I’m gone,” he said.

It’s a candid statement that gets to the heart of something often overlooked in conversations about working artists –– creating the work is only part of the challenge. Getting it in front of the right people, finding exhibition opportunities, and building a lasting record of one’s contributions to the cultural landscape require access and support.

That’s where community galleries and independent exhibition spaces play an important role.

For artists like Johnson, the Sinclair Gallery offers a platform to introduce their work to new audiences, test ideas, earn recognition and continue building an exhibition history. And because juried exhibitions bring together artists at different stages of their careers, the gallery creates opportunities for discovery in both directions.

Johnson appreciates the exhibitions at ArtsXchange, including those in which he hasn’t participated. He makes a point of coming through to see what other artists are creating and believes the organization is an important resource for the community.

“I think that (Gallery Director) Ric has done a great job,” he said. “And I always love Alice –– she gets things done.”

He also hopes more people will discover what’s happening at ArtsXchange and in East Point, where artists and cultural workers are contributing to a creative landscape that deserves greater visibility and investment.

As for what comes next, Johnson has no shortage of confidence in his ability to try something new. After all, as he put it, “I can probably do damn near anything.”

Learn more about Johnson and see his work on his website: www.smellsisee.com