Artist In The Spotlight:.....Gavin Johnson
Gavin Johnson
Gavin’s current work explores the themes of movement, love, growth, and development in its many forms through abstract shapes and patterns, blending colours that irrevocably speak to us on an existential level. He challenges himself to convey the link between us and the intangible feeling we all have, drawing influences from his life experiences, psychological studies, tribal patterns, and colours.
We wanted to know more about what inspires Gavin so caught up with him recently to find out more.
Carol: What is the inspiration behind your artwork and how does it relate to your pieces?
Gavin: The inspiration behind my work comes from a number of areas, the first being movement. As an athlete movement plays a big part in my life and through my work it conveys vitality, progression and potential as the colours travel across the canvas. This is always something I represent in my textured work bringing a new dimension to the wild nature of the painted pieces.
I also draw a lot of inspiration from psychological theory and feelings of growth, love, and, development.
Music also plays a big part in my creative process often inspired by the lyric and melodies of the song and conveying them through the colours and movement of the piece.
Carol: When did you know you were going to be an artist?
Gavin: Coming from an artistic family of fashion designers, popstars and visual artists I always felt at home in the arts world, but I did not view it as something that could be done as a career early on in my life, going into academic subjects and sport.
It was always something that I kept in touch with recreationally until the first lockdown when I was not able train and work as I once did. I decided to use my time productively and spend more time developing my art, something I told myself I did not have time for, and it ignited a flame inside of me - I could not get enough. It felt like the missing piece in my life had been found and I spent every moment I could perfecting my craft, and honing in on the messages I wanted to convey.
It helped me develop a greater understanding of myself and the world around me and at the same time challenge me to represent the intangible feelings and philosophical ideologies through movement, shapes, colours and textures. I loved the way it made me feel and the way others responded to my works. At that moment I realised this is something that I want to pursue. The feeling of inspiring others through my work gave me a great feeling and is my way of contributing something positive into the world.
Carol: What artist inspires you?
Gavin: The main artists who inspire me are; Mark Rothko with his seemingly simplistic paintings on the surface but that really involve a great deal of complication in its creation and message, and, Hilma Af Klimt, the mother of abstract work. The philosophy behind her work inspires and challenges me to create abstract work with powerful stories that resonate with whoever views it.
Carol: - How do you start your pieces?
Gavin: Everything starts with a thought, a mental vision as I think about a concept and then that leads to a quick rough sketch. If I like the way it looks on paper, paying close attention to the spacing and structure of the piece I go straight to big canvas and see how it turns out.
I believe in being courageous and bold with your creations and simply going for it. what is the worst that can happen? I doesn’t look as good as you planned, then you can always start again. But often it comes out better than you ever expected.
Carol: Can you tell us about your process?
Gavin: I create my fluid pieces by watering down the acrylic paint so that I can manipulate the movement of it through pressurized air or tilting the canvas. I select the colours based on colour theory and colour psychology so that it supports the message of the piece.
Once I have those things in place I decide on my pattern, which tells a vital part of the stories journey, portraying the wants and needs of the piece and any conflicts which contribute to a compelling narrative.
The same is the case with my textured pieces, I use my hands and palette knife to place the textures on the canvas creating my story through textured patterns.
Carol: How long does it take to complete a piece?
Gavin: From conception to complete piece depending on the size and materials it can be anything from 24 hours to 1 month.
Carol: What is your studio like and where is it?
Gavin: My studio is based in London. It is a fairly large space with high ceilings and large windows for lots of great natural light. There is always music playing and paint flowing as I try new concepts. I try to keep the space tidy but the nature of my technique makes it difficult at times, but I do not mind as it shows life and energy.
Carol: What do you like doing when you are not creating?
Gavin: When I am not painting, I enjoy playing sports, being a professional athlete it’s a second passion of mine. I love discovering new places to dine, great theatre and film as well as travelling and exploring the world. But, in reality, we are never not creating as each experience creates a memory we can enjoy or learn from.
Carol: What is your perfect weekend?
Gavin: My perfect weekend is to successfully implement an abstract concept, enjoy the company of my partner and to make progress with my training.
About Us
Let us help you get that perfect abstract artwork for your home! We sell awesome affordable artwork online & offer a great free art advisory service.
Why not browse our artwork here