Yo People, is what I call my art. It sets the mood to one's sense of humor far beyond the context of caricature or cartoon. What appears to be comic gives rise to satire. What might ordinarily be viewed as commonplace turns out to be ironic. The jests of puns and the pranks, of human behavior confrontation, are all enacted through the dramatization of everyday occurrences, set into compositions, starring "Yo People". Expressive, animated forms with exaggerated gestures of body posture, language, and emphatic emotional communications. With a very direct, minimal design, the art demands the viewers response; which is more personal than looking at a painting.
Born in Washington, D.C., M.L.J. Johnson grew up on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. He was educated at the New School for Social Research, New York University, Brooklyn College, and the City University at Lehman College. Mr. Johnson also holds a Masters Degree in Art Education/curriculum development, as well as an M.F.A. in painting and printmaking from Lehman College. He has extensive teaching experience, and is currently Art Chairman and Instructor at St. Joseph Regional High School and Adjunct Printmaking Instructor at Empire State College as well as the College of New Rochelle. He received St. Joseph's Medal to create a commemorative mural of a patron saint. He was also the recipient of the Art Education Achievement Award in 1973. M.L.J. is listed in the ”Who's Who of American Artists", and the ”Who's Who of African Americans."
Viewing art as being a universal language, M.L.J.
uses it as a form of visual communication, morphing
words into
images, pictograms of life's phenomenon. As an Artist and
educator, he has exhibited extensively throughout the U.S.,
London, Spain, Puerto Rico, South America, and the African
Diaspora. Currently, M.L.J. Johnson is an adjunct Professor
of Fine Arts at the College of New Rochelle and the Project
Arts coordinator for New York City Department of Education.
Reference links:
Art After Dark Studio
UFT - Teaching the art of survival
Ten Penny Players
Percent for Art in NYC
National Conference of Artists
NCANY ON-LINE NEWSLETTER
New Museum
New Heritage Theatre Group
Clinton Hill Art Gallery
Our Time
Press