Artist Biography
Sarah Johnson was raised in York, Maine. She is currently earning her Bachelor’s in Fine Arts with a concentration in 2D Studio Art and a minor in Arts Administration at Endicott College in Beverly, Massachusetts. In 2021, she spent a semester studying at Florence University of the Arts in Florence, Italy. Johnson is a practicing 2D artist primarily working in oil painting, focusing on realistic figural forms. Her work portrays intimate moments relating to the female body and societal standards. Johnson has shown her work in group exhibitions, including the 2020 and 2023 student Invitationals at Endicott College and at the York Art Association. In the summer of 2021, Johnson completed her internship as a gallery manager at the York Art Association. She has also served as a Curatorial Intern at the Ogunquit Museum of American Art and is currently at the Peabody Essex Museum as a Contemporary Curatorial intern. Johnson created a public commission for York Beach Beer Co. in 2021, and her work is included in private collections in Maine, New Hampshire, and New Jersey. She is currently working out of Beverly, MA, on a series of oil paintings reflecting on historical female nudes.
Artist Statement
My work explores stigmas of the female body through oil paintings. I depict the body in its natural form even with scars, beauty marks, stretch marks, and tattoos. Starting from my own reference photos of models posed as images from art history, I use a traditional method of oil painting to portray contemporary ideologies. These paintings capture intimate moments relating to body image and societal standards in a way that is not rooted in sexuality. I aim to critique and question the historical representation of women in art and society.
My current project is a gallery-wall-inspired series of oil paintings portraying interconnected female bodies. I chose to break up the images to allow the viewer to complete each figure from their own perspective. Each pose is inspired by a traditional oil painting, yet the subjects portray an updated view of women’s bodies. The portrait colors are switched by pushing the skin tones to the background and the rich, colorful tones on the bodies; ultimately breaking the standards of traditional art.
My paintings portray the idea of femininity and relate it to the body in a way that feels real and relatable. I call attention to the body standards women face in contemporary culture and how that can have a negative effect on confidence. By using inspiration from traditional female nude paintings, such as Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus, I reflect on the way women have been represented in the past and how they should be represented in the future. With that in mind, I paint the body in its raw form. Focusing on things people consider to be flaws encourages the idea that all bodies are valid. People can see themselves within my work and understand that others have shared experiences.