Sculpture
"Greg Johns' work exudes strength, certainty and a sense of place: the influences which have informed his sculpture are timeless and profound. One hardly expects the work of a contemporary Australian sculptor to have links going back millennia." - Ken Scarlett
Landscape
Over the last decade, the Australian landscape has become a major influence on Johns' sculpture. It is not however the only influence; over 40 years of practice, a layering of ideas has gradually unfolded and evolved. These conceptual notions are now well rooted in this landscape
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Fractal
In the late seventies Johns began to use a Y shape as the underlying building block for some of his sculptures. This was a long time before the term fractal appeared in common language as a building block to explain the organic growth patterns of rivers, trees, the arterial system of the human body and many other organic systems. Johns derived the shape as a symbol reflective of a male and female unity. As such he felt it had potency as a basic building block to build complex forms. It also suggests that beneath what can be seen there may be an underlying pattern which points to everything being interconnected. In this area contemporary Physics, the Arts and the older Perennial Philosophies have begun to share common ground. A wealth of figurative and abstract forms have unfolded from the use of the Y shape.
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Figurative
Johns' figurative pieces began to appear around nineteen eighty eight. He wanted to develop his work in new directions. Remaining in one area of development which has brought success is too safe an approach for a sculptor. He has been particularly interested in developing a sense of figuration which feels Australian. To achieve this Johns has drawn on many sources including the Australian landscape, Australian Aboriginal Art, European figurative sculpture and my own drawing practice. The notion of hybridity in these forms attracts Johns – it also reflects the cultural forces, old and new, which shape this place.
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Commissions
Johns' intention has always been to make significant public sculpture. Sculpture which engages both contemporary and perennial philosophies. Sculpture which is challenging, questioning and timeless in feel.
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Further Forms
The circular forms extend back to Johns' earliest sculptures. While other areas of exploration have opened up over the decades there is a richness to this field of investigation which lures him back on occasion.
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