The Art of Stephen Robert Johns
MODERNISM TODAY
August 1, 2007 - January 1, 2008
LAX - Thomas Bradley
International Terminal
CURATOR STATEMENT
As curator, my concept for the exhibition Modernism Today is based on two factors. As an artist, I have been inspired through out my life by the Modernists of the 1930's -Paul Klee, Hilla Rebay, Rolf Scarlett, Rudolph Bauer, Fernand Leger and Vassily Kandinsky, as well as Sonia and Robert Delaunay. Color, geometry and spatial movement defined this group.
Collectively, after fleeing war torn Europe, and relocating in the U.S, these artists were championed by Solomon R. Guggenheim. His financial and emotional support gave them the opportunity to interact and exhibit their art in New York, and continue their exploration into Modernism.
In 2004, I was invited to participate in a New York exhibition titled Champions of Modernism-Yesterday and Today, at the Denise Bibro Gallery. Artists' works, such as the above mentioned, were exhibited along side a sample of modernists of today. The Champions of Modernism exhibition inspired me to curate a group show of artists to whom I have exhibited with, or artists who have inspired my art, possibly thinking through similar processes as I, to achieve their artistic goal, as well as having similarities in their work, ever so slight, to those of the collective 1930's Modernist group.
I have selected approximately (20) artists for this exhibition who represent different countries-Costa Rica, Japan and Italy, as well as artists from New York, Oregon and Los Angeles, who I see embody the spirit and concept of color, geometry and composition movement, which was reflected in the art of the past Modernists, and still is today.
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STEPHEN ROBERT JOHNS