Spotlight Artist

Wade Johnston

West
Artist profile photo

The Natural Habitat of Your Echo Ringing In My Mind

Abstract collage with overlapping dancers, colorful dots, and bold black lines.

archival print on aluminum Dibond

Slow Motion Chaos in Real Time

Collage of people, abstract shapes, and swimmers on a textured background.

archival print on aluminum Dibond

She Makes Wine From My Clutching Hands

Collage of vintage photos, abstract shapes, and red swirling lines on a textured background.

archival print on aluminum Dibond

Featured in New American Paintings1 / 3

Artist Statement

 My work often deals with the reinterpretation of memories over time and how those memories are shaped by media outlets. How as a child, for example, the way the ‘American Dream’ was often presented on television and in periodicals contrasted with the realities of the period. My work is often a series of juxtaposed photos montaged together, along with hand-drawn lines and painted swaths that help create visual tension and direct the eye to areas of importance. While there is a narrative that I create, I leave the final interpretation up to the viewer so they can create their own story and draw their own conclusion to the meaning of the work.

Discover more artists from the West

THE MAGAZINE

Explore our magazine to discover exceptional artists

Open magazine with text, modern illustrations, and a list of artists on a pink background.
View issues

Call for Artists

Submit your work for consideration

New American Paintings is a juried exhibition-in-print and digital, presenting the work of 40 emerging artists in each issue.

View competitions

Your gateway to new art

Discover tomorrow's art stars, today

Two books on a wooden table with a modern decorative sculpture in the background.

PRINT + EARLY ACCESS DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION

$179/YEAR

DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION

$99/YEAR OR $10/MONTH

Each issue of New American Paintings features forty artists selected through our juried competitions—presented in a beautifully curated, full-color publication. Subscribers receive six issues per year, plus exclusive online access to current and past editions. Are you a collector? Consider our premium subscription and receive our museum-quality printed publication + access to each new digital issue two weeks before its general release.