Accession Number
2002/2.149

Title
#97-18

Artist(s)
Gary Johnson

Object Creation Date
1996

Medium & Support
maple, paela, bloodwood

Dimensions
10 x 7 1/2 in. (25.4 x 19.05 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of Robert M. and Lillian Montalto Bohlen

Label copy
Gary Johnson, a retired aerospace engineer, did not begin to turn wood seriously until 1992. His pieces are assembled by stacking and gluing a series of wooden rings upon each other. Through the use of mixed woods, his vessels create a segmented, woven patterning inspired by American Indian baskets and pottery.
#97-18, comparable to the geometric design of Michael Mode’s Akbar’s Bounty, reflects this patterning through its use of contrasting woods. Johnson incorporated 1,730 pieces of maple, paela and bloodwood to create the illusion of a spiraling mosaic patterns. A piece which demands great skill, time, and effort, #97-18 not only demonstrates Johnson’s appreciable skill and accuracy, but also his creative ability to combine multiple woods to create an integrated, dynamic work.
from the exhibition Nature Transformed: Wood Art from the Bohlen Collection, June 12 – October 3, 2004

Physical Description
wood vase with geometric patterning that wraps across a top-bottom, left-right diagonal

Primary Object Classification
Wood and Woodcarving

Primary Object Type
vase

Collection Area
Modern and Contemporary

Rights
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Keywords
geometric patterns
vessels (containers)
wood (plant material)