Iron Stones and Toxic Depths (2024)
Iron Stones and Toxic Depths explores questions pertaining to the effect of capitalist culture on the human condition. Discussing how out interactions with materialistic society may be affecting us and how we have become blind to aspects of our western would becoming parts or sections of “capitalist landscapes”. These aspects of our society entrap us by using beaty to camouflage and disguise their true nature. This causes misconcpetions which appear as mundane parts of our everyday world, but actually brings us to interact deeply with materialistic ideas. Trapping us into having to continually consume and interact with parts of capiltalist culture.
Inspired by the term ‘human sharks’ from Albert V Alexander’s ‘Are South Australian Diamonds Worth Their Cost?’ this exhibition aims to explore these interactions in regard to high commodity items like diamonds and gemstones. Johnson uses dripping handmade botanical inks to demonstrate the effects of these associations and conncetions with consumer culture alluding to its every growing depth within our society.
Helpmann Graduate Exhibition (2023)
Using ceramic materials such as white stoneware and Shino glazes or engobes ‘Hungry Civilian’ is a response to the nature of capitalism and questions materialistic ideas like, ‘Why do we have a perspective which places profit at the forefront of our priorities and creates a system in which profit is placed as the highest and most necessary to survive instead of other aspects such as the pleasure of everyday life or general happiness?’ The work also uses written sources to respond to these ideas, such as those within John Steinbeck’s novel ‘The Grapes of Wrath’. The Shino glazes and orange engobes have been used to describe the organic decay and materialistic reverence which can be found within within those who revel in capitalism and treat the priority of profit as a shining jewel of society.
“Carloads of oranges dumped on the ground. The people came for miles to take the fruit, but this could not be. How would they buy oranges at twenty cents a dozen if they could drive out and pick them up? And men with hoses squirt kerosene on the oranges, and they are angry at the crime, angry at the people who have come to take the fruit. A million people hungry, needing the fruit— and kerosene sprayed over the golden mountains. And the smell of rot fills the country..”- John Steinbeck, ‘The Grapes of Wrath’.
Nicholas Johnson, ‘Hungry Civilian’, 2022, Walkers No 10 White Stoneware and Benetts Stoneware, Orange Engobe, Keanes 37 White Earthenware, High Iron Shino, Celedon and Metallic Earthenware glazes. Dimensions varying between 60-80mm H x 70-100mm Diamater.
(Photography by Vicky Browne.)
