Winner of the Summer 2013 Competition

FORCE OF NATURE

A contemporary look at an ancient subject.

SUNSET

acrylic on canvas

23 x 34 in

NFS

artist statement

My current work utilizes an elaborate painting technique and metaphoric imagery to comment on everyday life. This unique style blends contemporary aesthetics with old European art. I like to portray characters, symbols, and natural phenomena that coexist in a world of peace, harmony, and mutual consolation. I try to remind my viewers of the wonder when encountering something new and beautiful.

My process is developed intuitively and improvisationally as I work. Visionary images are created by collapsing the three-dimensional realm into a two-dimensional veil of color spots that is intended to send the eye in pursuit of the enigmatic. But if the paintings can’t get you there, words won’t bail me out.

bio

Erika Pochybova Johnson was born in former Czechoslovakia and immigrated to Texas in late 1996 where she became a U.S. citizen in 2006. A self-taught artist, Erika has developed a unique style of painting that uses elaborate combinations of brightly colored dots, shape and lines. Her imagery varies widely and includes many animals, flowers, landscapes and abstraction.

In 2012, Erika Pochybova Johnson was chosen to paint to 2 large, public art commissions for the University Medical Center in Lubbock, TX (the new East Tower Building). Erika's paintings have been included in over 35 exhibitions nationally and she received a Silver Merit Award in a New York City based national competition. Erika also won a 2nd place Award in the “Texas National” competition that was juried by nationally-recognized artist Mel Chin and a 2nd place Award in the Houston-based “Texas Art 2009” juried by Shelly Langdale, Associate Curator of Prints and Drawings in Philadelphia Museum of Art.

In 2011, Erika's work was featured in the “Artist Portfolio Magazine”. In 2010, Erika was a selected finalist for the "Hunting Art Prize" in Houston, won 3rd place in International Landscape Competition, and was selected for a national juried exhibition "System Failure", curated by Sarah Tanguy; an independent curator, arts writer & critic, and a curator for the Art in Embassies Program in Washington, DC.

Her story and artwork has also been featured in the Slovakian national publication, New Time Sunday, in 3 issues of the national publication Creative Quarterly, and in the 2010 Winter issue of ARTNEWS Magazine. Erika has participated in group shows in Chicago, Dallas, Austin, Alexandria, Houston, New York, Beverly Hills, Minneapolis, Sacramento, Nacogdoches, Galveston, and Lubbock.

erika pochybova johnson

lubbock, texas [USA]

www.ebova.com

ArtSceneToday Q&A

Q: Where do you see yourself in the art scene today?

A: I see myself as an emerging artist that focuses on making beautiful paintings in a unique, personal style that has wide appeal to both sophisticated and novice art appreciators.

Q: What is in your inspiration?

A: I am inspired by life in general, but mostly by nature. I like to portray characters, symbols, and natural phenomena that coexist in a world of peace, harmony, and mutual consolation. I try to remind my viewers of the wonder of childhood when encountering something new and beautiful in nature. The unpleasant negativity projected in mass media inspires me to work harder to create something more colorful, fresh, optimistic and positive in my artwork and provide a pleasant and joyful escape for viewers of my work.

Q: What are your challenges?

A: My biggest challenge time because the way I paint requires a lot of it. My ideas always seem to move much faster than my hand.

Q: How did you/do you choose your medium?

A: I choose to work with fluid acrylic paints because of its vibrant, opaque pigments, its quick drying time, and its ability to create hard-edge shapes and dots. I paint on wood or hardboard panels for their strength and permanance and because I lay the panel on a tabletop and use it to steady my hand when doing detailed work.

Q: Which artist has influenced you the most?

A: First, of course, is my husband, James W. Johnson, who is incredibly talented, explores many different ideas, styles, media and has created a large quantity of interesting work. Without his encouragement and support, I would not be an artist right now. Since childhood, I have been fascinated by the complexity of Renaissance tapestries and hand-painted decorative murals (before wallpaper). I love stained glass windows in old European cathedrals and the work of Louis Comfort Tiffany. Some other favorites are William Morris, Jackson Pollock, and the more contemporary Mel Chin.

other works by the artist

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FORCE OF NATURE

Exhibition Page