PICTURESWITHIN

ABOUT

art statement

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One of my earliest ecstatic memories as a child is sitting alone in a sea grape tree. I held the branches, listening and observing, and suddenly became one with the tree: the warm breeze in my face, the slight vibration of leaves, a nearby mockingbird singing its endless love song. My artwork is a manifestation of experiences discovered during deep immersion in nature. The repository of color, form, pattern, texture and quality of light are imprinted upon my subconscious and translate into subtle layers of meaning. My emotional state drives the artistic journey forward and the evolution of each piece becomes a meditative practice. I do not "make" art; it flows through me as I become a channel for creativity. I believe every living thing is connected to this infinite energetic tapestry.

My current work is mixed-media digital assemblage. My practice mimics the natural cycles of creation and destruction. Each piece originates as photos and drawings where I process raw emotion. Recycled materials, junk mail, packaging, discarded books, letters, old drawings and photos are deconstructed to build collage. The resulting abstracted forms are born as new realities. The cycle continues as these works are digitized, manipulated, cut apart and re-imagined as continuations of previous works. 

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My world-view is one that respects organic processes, intuition and collaboration, celebration of diversity and holistic connections.

My my artwork holds a mirror to those values.

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artist bio

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Johanna Porter was born and raised in Miami, FL. She is a self-taught digital artist. She received a BFA in Graphic Design from University of North Florida in 1985. Her career includes three decades working as a graphic artist, illustrator and art director. In 2019 she moved her studio, PICTURESWITHIN, from South Florida to the Pacific Northwest. Johanna returned to her roots as a visual artist, creating work that is more relevant to her personal growth. 

Her art has been exhibited nationally, including group shows at the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville, Florida State University Museum of Fine Arts, Foster-Tanner Fine Arts Gallery, Delray Arts Warehouse, Palos Verdes Art Center, Schack Art Center, Center on Contemporary Art Seattle, Port Angeles Fine Arts Center, and Las Laguna Art Gallery. Johanna has also shown her artwork at the 2021 Shoreline Arts Festival, 2020 Embracing Our Differences Art Festival, and 2019 Roslyn Art Festival. Her work has been published in numerous contemporary art magazines and online art galleries.

In the past three years Johanna has been awarded public art commissions in the state of Washington. She collaborated with a digital animator and screened her first experimental animated short film at Redmond Downtown Park during 2021 Redmond Lights. (https://vimeo.com/654292819) She designed traffic controller boxes in Issaquah and Kent, WA. In 2021 Johanna was selected by the City of Redmond, WA  to participate in the Public Art Eastside Cohort. In 2022 the City of Seattle awarded Johanna a Mentorly scholarship to further her career as a public artist. 

Her current media is a fusion of drawing, photography, collage and mixed-media digital assemblage. Johanna is working on a series of new mixed-media works in preparation for a solo exhibition hosted by a Tacoma, WA gallery in 2023.

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artist cv

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COMMISSIONS

2021

City of Redmond, Arts and Culture, public art commission for animated short film “The Light of Things”, Redmond Lights

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City of Kent Arts Commission, public art commission for traffic controller box

2019

City of Issaquah Arts Commission, public art commission for traffic controller box

SOLO EXHIBITION

2019

Lysd’OrArt.blogspot.com, Italy, solo online exhibit

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2022

Schack Art Center, “Art of the Garden”, Everett WA, regional group exhibit

Center on Contemporary Art, CoCa Spring Members Exhibit, Seattle WA, regional group exhibit

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Kent Summer Art Exhibit, Kent WA, regional curated group exhibit

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Museum of Contemporary Art, Jacksonville FL, “FIFTY: An Alumni Exhibition”, invitational group exhibit

The Art of Water, curated online group exhibit

2021

Las Laguna Art Gallery, Laguna Beach CA, “Botanical Art & Illustration”, curated online group exhibit

The Left Ear, UK, international curated online group exhibit

The Anxious Tomato, Tacoma WA, “Fear in Technicolor”, regional curated online group exhibit

Schack Art Center, “SchacktoberFest”, Everett WA, regional group exhibit

Port Angeles Fine Arts Center, Port Angeles WA, “Creative and Resilient”, national juried group exhibit

Shoreline Arts Festival, Shoreline WA “ 2021 Virtual Juried Art Exhibit”, regional online juried group exhibit

Marking Lives Covid-19, online Covid-19 international online memorial art exhibition

2020

Chico Art Center, Chico CA, “Windows Into the World”, international online group exhibit

Firehouse Art Center, Longmont CO, “Artists in Their Residence”, national online group exhibit

Corona Portrait Project, national curated online exhibit

Embracing Our Differences, Bayfront Park, Sarasota FL, international group art billboard exhibit

2019

Schack Art Center, Everett WA, “SchacktoberFest”, regional group exhibit

Palos Verdes Art Center, Rancho Palos Verdes CA, “Cover These Walls”, national group exhibit

2019 Roslyn Art Festival, Roslyn WA, “Memories”, national group exhibit

FSU Museum of Fine Arts, Tallahassee FL, “Combined Talents”, national group exhibit

Foster-Tanner Fine Arts Gallery, Tallahassee FL, “Pinnacle National Juried Art Competition”, national group exhibition

2018

Delray Arts Warehouse, Delray Beach FL, “Social Code”, juried group exhibit

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

2022

Beyond Words, art and literature journal- June issue 

Defunkt; art and literature magazine- cover artist, Spring edition

Salann Magazine- 2nd edition

Beyond Words, art and literature journal- April issue 

Beyond Words, art and literature journal- March issue 

2021

Subjectiv, art and literature journal- November 2021

2020

WotisArt, portfolio #36

Average Art, portfolio #36

2019

ArtIt, Summer edition

A5 zine, portfolio #27

Peripheral Arteries Biennial, Summer/volume 50

Art Ascent, Silver Artist, “Beauty” edition

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2018

The Art Blog, November issue

Magazine 43/Hong Kong, Fall edition

Average Art, portfolio #25

A5 zine, portfolio #17

EDUCATION

1985

Bachelor of Fine Arts, Graphic Design, University of North Florida

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HONORS + AWARDS

2022

IPPY Silver Award for self-published poetry and art book “TNTRK”, awarded by Independent Publisher Book Awards 

Artists Up! Mentorship Scholarship, awarded by 4Culture, Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, and ArtsWA 

2021

Public Art Intensive Eastside Cohort, selected by the City of Redmond Arts and Culture Commission, WA 

2019

Roslyn Art Festival, Second Place Award