About the Artist
Respectability in Art is Appalling
Carl B. Johnson has been called a “Twisted Hopper” and dubbed “Outlaw Artist” by his friend and internationally renowned poet walt Christopher stickney. He has exhibited extensively throughout the southern New Jersey & Philadelphia region. His work resides in private collections throughout the United States.
A representational painter, Carl obscures the lines between Abstract Expressionism and Contemporary Impressionism creating a style that is truly unique. His most recent works involve the artist’s observations of disappearing faces, scenes and events in his community.
In addition to two-dimensional representational painting, Carl creates three-dimensional sculpture from found objects.
Carl has served as an officer on the board of directors of the Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts for the first few years of its development. He is a founding member of the Glasstown Nine, a painting group comprised of Cumberland County artists. Carl publishes a regional underground arts newspaper, “INFERNO“.
His latest venture is his book, Bar Exam: musings from the bar stool
documenting the disappearing neighborhood bar. Featuring his bar paintings and bar stool wisdom, “Bar Exam” is available from Amazon. com.
Carl currently sits on the board of directors of the Da Vinci Art Alliance in Philadelphia. He also sat on the board of AHOME (Affordable Homes of Millville, Ecumenical), a non-profit with a mission to provide lower income working families with affordable homes of their own.
In addition to these boards, Carl is a member of the Design Committee and Wayfinding sub-Committee of Millville’s Main Street Organization. He sits on the Mayor’s Task Force. He sits on the Weed and Seed Steering Committee.
Carl is an outspoken community activist. He has targeted both liberal and conservative alike, and is known for bringing acerbic wit to play in his editorial rampages uncovering half-truths and lies by public officials and organizations.
Self-employed, Carl designs websites in addition to his duties with Inferno. He prefers to work primarily with artists and non-profit arts related groups. Carl also tutors on the basics of graphic digital design and desk top publishing using Adobe Photoshop and Adobe InDesign, and web site design using Macromedia’s Dreamweaver.
Carl enjoys motorcycles, good music, fine cigars and very dry martinis. This doesn’t mean he can necessarily afford any of the above. His politics range from the socially liberal to the fiscally responsible, with a peppering of good old fashioned paranoia.