Professor uses flesh as art
By Sarah Fultz
Some may find Sarah Best Johnson paintings and drawing on the flesh disturbing, but she says it is a commentary on how people interact with each other.
“We relate people based on their flesh and connect with people based on their flesh, as well,” Johnson, art masters student, said. “When I go to a museum or a gallery, I like the artwork with the figures.”
Johnson’s illustration with flesh, distortion and the grotesque is a developing theme in her work , which is on display at The University of Memphis Box Gallery from April 17 to May 4. Her interests developed from un-satisfaction with her self portraits.
“ I found my face unflattering,” Johnson said. “I then tried to distort my face with rope and found it much more satisfying.”
Johnson now uses portraits of other people and not herself.
“I mainly use portraits in my work,” Johnson said. “When I use other body parts, they end up being neglected.”
Johnson drew pictures throughout her childhood until adulthood. She took art courses throughout high school. At the University of Alabama in Huntsville, Johnson received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting and drawing. During her undergraduate degree, there were figure series of character types. In her BFA show in Huntsville, motion and flesh was part of her work.
“Everything was motion,” Johnson said. “Everything was moving from one place to the next.”
Johnson came to the University of Memphis for her Masters of Fine Arts degree. For the program, students create art and can teach for about two of the three years at the university.
“I was highly encouraged to come here by my professor in Huntsville,’ Johnson said. “My professor worked really well with the professors at the University of Memphis. Jed Jackson and Beth Edwards’ work also inspired me to come to the university.”
Besides making flesh distorted using rope and tape, Johnson combines colors in her work to make portraits skin color since skin has many different layers of color.
“White is the most important color because white makes my paintings the way I want,” Johnson said. “For some of my work, the background is white and I want the portrait to emerge from the background.”
The title of Johnson’s work is called “F.” due to bunch of different words like faces, flesh, fixed identities, façade and fulcrum, according to Johnson.
Besides creating artwork, Johnson teaches drawing classes at the university. Also during this time, Johnson will work for the Box Gallery next year. After her time as a master student, Johnson’s dream job is that she would open her own gallery. But in the meantime, Johnson plans on becoming an art professor and get her teaching license.
Johnson’s work will be one of four artworks that will be presented at the Box Gallery.
