ANNA JOHNSON
Anna Johnson is an American glass artist. Raised in Flint, Michigan, Anna had an interest in chemistry and sciences. It wasn’t until after being introduced to glass that Johnson turned to an artistic pursuit. Her is influenced by personal queer experiences and a fascination with the mythological, focusing on interpreting monster’s narratives through a queer lens. Anna utilizes glass sculpture and metal fabrication to bring these creatures to life. Johnson graduated from College for Creative Studies, Detroit, MI in 2023 with a BFA with glass art as her focus. Johnson continues to live and work in Michigan.
Still in the Maze (Minotaur) 2023 Glass, Stained Glass
Still in the Maze (Minotaur) 2023 Glass, Stained Glass
Monster Hand 2022 Stained Glass, Ink
Mother of Monsters (Echidna) 2023 Glass
Mother of Monsters (Echidna) 2023 Glass
Self (Manticore) 2022 Glass, Steel
Self (Manticore) 2022 Glass, Steel
She and Her Sisters(Medusa) 2023 Glass, Steel
Category Crisis (Siren) 2022 Glass
Category Crisis (Siren) 2022 Glass
ANNA JOHNSON
My recent work romanticizes entities that are stigmatized by culture. Monsters. Analyzing Greek mythological monsters alongside queer narratives using the tenants of monster theory. My goal is to find the resonance point, where the narratives overlap, and find what creature lives in that space. These creatures are reflections of my narrative, queer culture, and the experience of the monster. I want to find the empowerment that comes with the grotesque. What it is like to perceive the truth of a narrative, not give it grace and beauty, but to look at something in all its oddity. Reclaiming the Monster finds this awkward power amongst the strange beasts and their environments, perceiving and being perceived, obscured by distorted transparency. I create these creatures and spaces out of glass and metal, working with opacity as a way to translate to perception. The symbol of the eye recurs throughout as a reminder that the viewer is being examined in return.