Doug Johnston ‘What it is’
Doug Johnston’s rope coiled sculptures are like behavioral studies of the hand as if left to its own devices. It is no surprise that his practice evolved out of a need for release from the stress of living and working in the Big Apple. Forms scribbled on paper on the subway, tactile cotton rope found in a hardware store and a fascination with the rhythm of stitches – all are great hobbies for idle hands.
His latest show ‘What it is’ at Patrick Parrish Gallery is a collection of fluid forms, some precise and symmetrical while others are animated, all bound together by their organic personalities and eager dispositions. Made from coiling rope and stitching it with a machine, a secondary painted surface is then applied highlighting or masking the construction. Although familiar in form their use and meaning is lovingly ambiguous, instead of being led you’re asked which one nestles into your soul.
Johnston started out as an architect, moved to NYC, lost his job through the layoffs of the GFC, and so out of a need for creation found his place in the arts. His pieces are unique beacons of where your life might take you if you follow your instinct and trust your hands.
Doug Johnston ‘What it is’
Patrick Parrish Gallery
50 Lispenard Street
New York, New York 10013
05 December – 23 December 2016
Credits: Courtesy of the artist & Patrick Parrish Gallery
