Black Art Legacies: From intricate portraits to multistory murals, the artists bring Black history and bold color to the cityscape.
A wave of Black art rises in Seattle's Central District: Artist Barry Johnson at the intersection of 23rd and Union in Seattle's Central District, across the street from the Midtown Square building
Art in the Age of Covid: Multidisciplinary artist Barry Johnson was busier than ever in 2020 creating murals and other narratives to uplift brown and Black voices.
BARRY JOHNSON ARTIST INTERVIEW: “ANYTHING IS ANYTHING” CAN BECOME STRUCTURAL CHANGE: “anything is anything” was the title of johnson’s first solo art show at Tacoma’s Alma Mater in August 2019, and is now the title of his weekly podcast on “the origins of myths, idioms, stories, and nonsense.” Both offer tiny glimpses into johnson’s varied interests and atraditional way of moving through traditional art spaces, which has led to an art practice that includes numerous mediums, from painting and architecture to performance and film — all with a focus on Black communities.
Local artist’s work beautifies transformation of Federal Way’s downtown: Federal Way resident barry johnson created an “Our Federal Way” mural to be displayed outside of the Sound Transit construction site of incoming link extension.
CHOP's "Black Lives Matter" Mural Gets an Unwanted Layer of Sealant: The mural—which was completed on June 11—appeared early on in the life of the Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP) and became a celebrated rallying point for the protest zone.
9 Black Design Professionals Share Their Thoughts on Diversity in Design: For Seattle-based visual artist Barry Johnson, using art as a tool for communication is a no-brainer, but it took him some time to figure that out.
In Celebration of Black History Month — Barry Johnson: To commemorate the importance of Black History Month this February, Saatchi Art will be featuring 3 prominent artists that are redefining our contemporary art world.
Artist Spotlight: barry johnson: The idea of “real artists” is funny to me. If you’re creating, putting thought into your work and pushing out product regularly, you’re an artist. In a public forum, we’ve created a negative idea around an artist on their pursuit and we also pick-up and simultaneously put down, a working artist.
ESU alum celebrates diversity through art: A former Emporia State University student has been making a name for himself by exploring race, culture and identity through art.
Reaching Down, Rising Up art exhibit commemorates National Black HIV/AIDS awareness: barry johnson showcases painting “Untitled #34,” a beautiful and awe-inspiring portrait of a black man. “Untitled #34” uses the weight of heavy, fragmented tiles to emphasize the barriers of being seen and accepted in the dominant culture as a black man.
A F.I.N.E. gallery: barry johnson, a multimedia artist in his mid-thirties and a recent Ted Talk speaker, only in the last six years made the switch from high powered tech professional to self-taught artist. Yet, you would think he had done this all of his life judging by the quality of his work.
I’m F.I.N.E Barry Johnson at 950 Gallery: Barry Johnson's paintings at 950 Gallery are unlike art seen anywhere else in Tacoma.
950 Gallery shows work of artist on the brink of the big time: A one-man show of johnson’s work is now running at Tacoma’s 950 Gallery. Called “I’m F.I.N.E.,” the exhibit runs through Dec. 20. The show is a display of johnson’s paintings, but the artist’s addition of accents and quotes and a mural painted directly onto the gallery’s walls and columns transform the space into a holistic installation.
#MEFeature: barry johnson, Not One for the Clout: At 30 years old, barry johnson made a life-changing decision to become a full-time professional artist.
Edwin T. Pratt Scholarship - Barry Johnson, Marilyn Montufar: The Edwin T. Pratt Scholarship aims to amplify the work of underrepresented artists of color and equip them with education and tools that will help them progress to the next level in their professional journeys.
TEDxSeattle: Speakers Announced: A tall order, by definition, is demanding. A significant, and potentially unreachable, challenge. Looking to the past, we can find wildly successful tall orders. Some may even seem small viewed through the lens of today’s challenges.
Artist of the week: barry johnson: Everything and I mean that. Conversations, things I see, listen to, read about, everything will find some way into my work.
Breaking Boundaries: The many faces of artist barry johnson: Seven days a week, like clockwork, he begins his day working on several projects at a time while many of us are catching our final hours of rest.‘
Out of Sight,’ a visionary show of PNW fine art: Multidisciplinary artist Barry Johnson is one of 109 artists with work in the show. His three mixed-media portraits show Black men with their faces obscured. Inspiration for “Shaded,” “Phases” and “Untitled 26” came from a group art exhibition produced by Onyx Fine Arts called “Truth B Told,” which focused on artists of African descent telling their own story. Johnson is furthering the narrative.
Your {___} Neighborhood explores gentrification in Seattle: A discussion with Barry Johnson and Wesley Fruge about an upcoming show featuring 20 artists focused on gentrification.
Interview: Black Stax speaks to ‘Black Lives Matter’ through active music: "Barry Johnson, visual artist, director/producer of Sonic Painting, reached out to us and wanted to do something with music, but didn't want it to be typical. We shot him “Loyalty is Royalty,” we met with him and Aaron Anderson, who is a dope videographer! And, shortly thereafter, you have this visual presentation of “Loyalty is Royalty” in a Sonic Painting.
Out of Sight, Into Mind: Art On the Margins of the Seattle Art Fair: Barry Johnson is a visual artist who works in painting, sculpture, video art, installation, and illustration. Most recently, he's been working on a series of paintings of men who have their faces obscured by various compositional devices—an artful crop here, a strategically draped hoodie there, or even a framed picture-within-a-picture affixed to the painting, almost humorously calling attention to its own role in the obfuscation.
Out of Sight Is Big, Beautiful and Bright: Barry Johnson’s portraits of men in profile, set against bubblegum pink or baby-blue backgrounds, leave us yearning for what's left unseen. Johnson omits the most intriguing parts, leaving faces out of frame, or at times literally veiled by objects like a folding fan that's been affixed directly to the canvas.