My painting process takes a deep-dive into various sources of found imagery; often cropping pictures and reducing the narratives into reimagined, dream-like subjects. Using these found images, I paint them to present more like a spiritual experience, sometimes using autobiographical themes as subjects. My inspiration weaves between the vastness of French modernist painting, vintage advertising, film, and contemporary life. The biggest challenges in my creative process stem from constant reflection and refinement of ideas. Using drawing as a reduction stage, I get a better understanding of the idea’s elements and I’ve found drawing to be the best method of pictorially journaling my way into the idea before taking it on as a painting.

My aim with my work is to create a broken narrative style of storytelling that uses painted images to braid together dream-like themes of love, self doubt, and the surreal.

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Heath Johnston

B. 1988 Johnson City, TN

Brooklyn, NY

Exhibitions

2022

Nov. Not Even Home Will Be With You Forever (group) curated by Amanda Barker, Field Projects, New York, NY

Oct. Launch: All Hands on Deck (group fundraiser) Odell Brewing, Fort Collins, CO

Aug. Back2School Summer 2k22 Group Exhibition (group) Friend of a Friend Gallery, Denver, CO

May. The Yellow Show (group) Dateline Gallery, Denver, CO

2021

Nov. Cross Pollination (group) Rayback Collective, Boulder, CO

Sept. Launch: All Hands on Deck (group fundraiser) Odell Brewing, Fort Collins, CO

2019

Nov. Colfax Collective 4: All Good Ships are Made of Skin (group) Bellwether Social Club, Denver, CO

Sept. Launch: All Hands on Deck (group fundraiser) New Belgium Brewing, Fort Collins, CO

Aug.-Sept. Formlessness (solo) Downtown Artery, Fort Collins, CO

2018

Sept. Launch: All Hands on Deck (group fundraiser) Odell Brewing, Fort Collins, CO

Jul. In-House Artists (group) Downtown Artery, Fort Collins, CO

Studio Residency

2018-2020

Downtown Artery, Fort Collins, CO