C.A. Johnson Sculpture

Welcome to my sculpture site---thank you for visiting.

Like most artists, whether consciously or not, my work is a kind of self-portrait. What began as a pure love of botanical form has grown into something deeper. These outsized botanical sculptures are decorative, yes, but also exploratory and evolving. My foundation is in the figure. I studied at the Graduate School of Figurative Art of The New York Academy of Art (now the New York Academy of Art) and earlier trained with the late sculptor T.J. Dixon in San Diego, CA. While I continue to enjoy sculpting the figure, I eventually gave myself permission to apply those skills to another subject that fascinated me---particularly the world of botanicals. The work is still figurative, because of the use of convex form, it's just the execution of subject matter that I have turned to. I was first drawn to what is known as closed form---shapes that hold themselves inward, like an apple or a figure drawn tightly into a ball. To me, this language of containment symbolizes self-protection, a paradoxical but necessary stage of personal growth. From quince and apple to walnut and cherry, my early explorations became more than form studies: they became messaging symbols. My background in family therapy informed this shift. Inevitably, my work began to engage with the theme of generational trauma. Recognizing my own experience of this has become a compelling force in my practice. By drawing viewers in with strong convex form, whimsy, or conflated ideas, I use sculpture as a vehicle to plant a seed of reflection on this universal human experience. Technically, I sculpt in oil-based clay, create molds, and cast in Jahn mortar, Jesmonite, and bronze. I work from photographs, finishing cast stone with stains and acrylic topcoats, and bronze with hot and cold patinas. For over 22 years, I have also worked as a conservator technician, specializing in antique garden ornament restoration. My expertise---developed through self-directed study and consultation with conservators from institutions including the Metropolitan Museum of Art---continues to inform and support my studio practice. 

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​Wherever I look, I see signs of the commandment to honor one's parents

and nowhere of a commandment that calls for the respect of a child.

German Psychologist, Alice Miller