Biography Grace Mott Johnson

1 biography

1.1 life
1.2 career
1.3 awards
1.4 legacy

biography
early life

johnson s mother died 2 years after born, raised father. years spent being home-schooled on farm in yonkers, new york. began drawing when 4 years old, , when family moved farm in 1900 enjoyed sketching horses , other farm animals. @ age of 22, left home study @ art students league sculptors gutzon borglum , james earle fraser, , attended birge harrison s painting class in woodstock. throughout career sculpt animals memory, adamant animals not sketched. attend circuses , farms inspiration. in fact, many summers followed traveling circuses observe animals.

career

in 1909, johnson , andrew dasburg went paris , joined modernist circle of artists living there, including morgan russell, jo davidson, , arthur lee. during trip london same year married. johnson returned united states next year, dasburg stayed in paris met henri matisse, gertrude , leo stein, , became influenced paintings of cézanne , cubism. returned woodstock, new york in august , , johnson became active members of artist community. in 1911, son alfred born. both dasburg , johnson showed several works @ legendary armory show in 1913, , dasburg showed @ macdowell club in new york city, met journalist , activist john reed later introduced him mabel dodge (luhan), wealthy art patron , lifelong friend. in 1914, dasburg met alfred stieglitz , became part of avant-garde circle. using had seen in paris, dasburg became 1 of earliest american cubist artists, , experimented abstraction in paintings.

dasburg , johnson lived apart of marriage. 1917, had separated , dasburg began teaching painting in woodstock , in new york city. in 1918, invited taos, new mexico mabel dodge, associated dodge s artist colony. returning in 1919, johnson joined him there period of time. in 1919, dasburg 1 of founding members of woodstock artists association john f. carlson, frank swift chase, carl eric lindin, , henry lee mcfee. in 1922, dasburg , johnson divorced.

grace mott johnson lived in johnson family home in yonkers, new york during 1920s, moving pleasantville, new york in 1927. in 1924 went egypt study ancient egyptian sculpture. in 1929 had solo exhibition of sculpture , drawings @ art gallery of museum of new mexico. during 1930s, became civil rights activist. had many friends in arts community in harlem , active representative of naacp. produced little art during last twenty years of life.

writings johnson found included 2 brief autobiographical writings described life. these included living on farm, interests in art , art education. worked on home-made magazine called johnson monthly made siblings, illustrations in magazine done johnson. additionally, had written poems, writings civil rights, , loose diary-style writings expressed thoughts. sketchbooks included charcoal , pencil drawings of animals, landscapes, , other designs. preliminary sketches of animal sculptures included sketches of son alfred dasburg.

awards

in 1917, johnson awarded macmillan sculpture prize @ new york city s national association of women painters , sculptors. awarded joan of arc medal in 1927.

legacy

her artwork still highly valued within art community, going above estimates in auction. sculpture of grey hound sold $3,884 @ auction in 2006, 56% above estimate. portrait of hunting dog sold 549% above estimated auction. bronze figure of lamb sold $2,420 when estimate $1,000-$1,500.