Spotlight Artist

Elliott Johnson

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Featured in New American Paintings

Artist Statement

Look, I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can do this. Maybe one day, but now, I just don’t know if I could live with myself if I went through with it. I wish I could express it better, but how do you explain something you said at the peak of limerance, or the depths of heartache… to someone you loved, or thought you did, or something someone said to you that broke your heart? Only in retrospect does it all seem so ridiculous. How could that have affected you so severely? Didn’t you even cry?! You wanted to. You thought you might throw up. I thought I might, too. But now it’s all so laughable. And the funniest thing is that it probably wasn’t the first time, and it’s not likely to be the last. Your scene of emotional catastrophe so wonderfully absurd that it culminates in a sort of visual conversion hysteria. Maybe sooner or later we’ll understand each other, but not now. Not today.

Artist's Additional works

Works shared by the artist outside of their featured New American Paintings selections

Featured artwork
Featured artwork

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