Erick Johnson
At the heart of Passages is the idea that color is both a fixed presence and an unfolding experience, much like the Zen teaching from The Gateless Gate:
“When you try to grasp it, you lose it. When you no longer try, it is there.”
This paradox mirrors Johnson’s approach—his compositions vibrate with shifting relationships, yet they settle into a profound harmony when fully absorbed. His work does not seek to define color but to invite the viewer into its passage, embracing the impermanence and fluidity of visual experience.
“Color is an evolving conversation,” says Johnson. “Each form is a portal, a way of moving through a visual space that is both structured and fluid. Passages is about that journey.”
A seasoned painter with a deep commitment to abstraction, Johnson’s practice builds on the traditions of modernist color theory while carving a distinct, contemporary path.
Passages #10, 2025, Oil on Arches Paper 20 x 16 inches
Passages #3, 2025, Oil on Arches Paper 20 x 16 inches
Passages #2, 2025, Oil on Arches Paper 20 1/2 x 16 1/4 inches
Passages #6, 2025, Oil on Arches Paper 20 x 22 inches
Passages #9, 2025, Oil on Arches Paper 20 x 16 inches
Passages #11, 2025, Oil on Arches Paper 20 x 30 inches
Passages #8, 2025, Oil on Arches Paper 20 x 16 inches
Passages #5, 2025, Oil on Arches Paper 30 x 22 inches
Passages #5, 2025, Oil on Arches Paper 30 x 22 inches
Passages #7, 2025, Oil on Arches Paper 20 x 16 inches
Passages #10, 2025, Oil on Arches Paper 20 x 16 inches
Polyphase Variation II/framed, 2020, Oil on paper, 30 x 22 inches
Polyphase Variation I, 2020, Oil on paper, 30 x 22 inches
Polyphase Variation IV, 2020, Oil on paper, 20 1/2 x 16 1/4 inches
Polyphase Variation VI, 2020, Oil on paper, 20 1/2 x 16 1/4 inches
Polyphase Variation VII, 2020, Oil on paper, 20 1/2 x 16 1/4 inches