BRANNER JOHNSTON
exhibitions
Dismorphia
at the Chrysler Museum of Art
Glass Studio
07/26/2015 - 08/9/2015
In this piece, I take self-portraits that show my face and neck moving in different directions and manipulate the photographs by placing fused glass and small glass pieces on the images. Using Blythe Bohnen as a reference, I wanted to explore the idea of seeing myself how others would. We can only see ourselves in a mirrored image and even that isnt how others view us. By creating lenses that distort the images in different ways, I achieve an altered view of myself showing that not everyone sees me the way I do
Dream Interpretation
Senior Art Show
Neil Britton Art Gallery
04/28/2015 - 05/15/2015
In this exhibit, the senior art students objective was to create an integrative piece that connects their college experience with their artistic practice. The pieces were shown at the Neil Britton Art Gallery at Virginia Wesleyan College in Norfolk,VA.
This piece captures a moment in time. When we dream it is said we experience many dreams and they only last a few second. My piece captures that split second in time where our brain takes our daily memories and distorts them. It is a depiction of how I imagine the brain to store memory and experiences and how they all interact with eachother. By combining common items and manipulating them it shows the distortion our brain does to our memories.
Stigma Resolution
Vestibule 102: Camoflague
The Chrysler Museum Perry Glass Studio
06/16/14 - 06/30/2014
This group exihibition showed students work from the Virginia Wesleyan's glass class at the Chryler Museum Glass Studio in June 2014. The installation included multiple variations and interpretations of camoflague.
My piece intended to show a mixture of cultures by transforming an often stigmatized accessory, a turban, into an object that does not have any negative connotations with it, a beehive. Using glass, paint, fabric and a bee carcus; my motive in this piece was to show the pressures of society and how culture affects our view of individuals. Ever since the terroist attacks in 2001, our culture has put a harsh stereotype of the muslim culture. I would like my art to evoke the sense of overcoming the pressure of our society as an outsider.
Embrace Your Space
2012
The Embrace Your Space project involved students from John Rudel's painting class. This permanent installation is located in Kellam Hall at Virginia Wesleyan College. To learn more about the project click the link below.