Man Down by Joseph Johnson

Oil on wood mounted with distance holder

21cm x 30cm

The Bestiarum series, initiated in 2016 and featuring the paintings Man Down and Nation, employs anthropomorphism to probe the human condition. These creatures serve as conceptual vehicles investigating the complex intersections between historical narratives and the natural world.

Joseph Johnson’s practice investigates the intersections of nature, history, and psychology. His recent work includes Time Ghost—a project completed while living on Norfolk Island that interrogates the location's visual archives—and Queer Hunt, an exploration of human history reimagined through appropriated historical portraits. Johnson holds an MA in Fine Art from Central Saint Martins in London and has exhibited his work internationally across Australia, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and the United States.