Meticulous Art From Silverpoint to Ballpoint

Butt Johnson, is a Brooklyn based artist at the forefront of artwork executed in ballpoint pen. His elaborate drawings recall the painstaking work of  Baroque and Renaissance artists who worked in metal point. Johnson is inspired by the iconography and visual leitmotifs of the past which serve as a juxtaposition of pop culture overlaying these traditional forms. Essentially, Johnson has re-worked European engraving and etching traditions within a modern American cultural context.

 

 

For example the juxtaposition of Islamic or Persian ornamentation and car bombed vehicles. Johnson’s work is executed by pen onto two- ply bristol board . Recently he has been drawing onto mylar which gives gives some of the same sensuous qualities as the etchings of the old masters.  Each of Johnson’s drawings requires two to three months completion time.

 

 

Johnson’s ”meticulous drawings” show an exceptional draughtsmanship and an acute sensitivity in order to slowly build up the tonal differences in his work. Even great artists such as Michelangelo were considered  only average as meticulous silverpoint artists since his his mastery of paint onto canvas was considered to be too heavy handed a technique  to be transfered effectively to this intricate medium.

Johnson’s best work is characterized by the luminous transitions, eccentric shapes and abrupt changes in direction that the Masters were known for.

nt_2859" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 479px">

Butt Johnson, Bus Bomb