Mary Ellen Johnson
"Cherry Cheesecake"
Oil on Panel
38 x 27 1/2 Inches
Note: This painting is framed in dark cherry wood.
Mary Ellen Johnson is internationally recognized as one of the top Photo Realist painters working today whose extraordinary area of expertise is images of food. Johnson actually describes herself as a ‘Precision Realist’ whose primary subject is food - cheesecakes, PB & J sandwiches, parfaits, pancakes, banana splits, ice cream, hot dogs, cupcakes, waffles, muscles, sushi, etc.. These brilliantly painted works capture every nuance and are rendered with amazing precision. Stunningly beautiful and incomparably 'real,' her paintings are a delight in terms of subject matter, color, perfect composition, and whimsy, with an approachable quality that elevates them far beyond expertly executed mechanical renderings.
Unequaled for their brilliance and dramatic depictions of mundane subjects with their connotations of nostalgia, comfort and tradition, it is also her scale, cropping and extraordinary technical skill that render these works so overwhelmingly appealing. Johnson's paintings are acknowledged by the leading collectors in the country to represent the very best of the Photorealist tradition:
“I make the panels large to give a monumental feeling to the painting when viewed. These large images not only confront the viewer with their size but with their tremendous sense of extravagance. My work explores the deep connection that food has with humanity.” Mary Ellen Johnson
Included among the many accolades received for Johnson's work is a commission by the Canadian Government to paint 5 of Canada's favorite foods, images which were then translated into stamps, as well as a commission from The Cheesecake Factory's chain of restaurants for a "Strawberry Cheesecake with Whipped Cream" for their corporate headquarters in California.
MARY ELLEN JOHNSON
Born: 1967, West Long Branch, NJ.
Education: Ringling School of Art and Design, Sarasota, FL, 1989.
Exhibitions:
ONE PERSON EXHIBITIONS:
Beth Urdang Gallery, Wellesley, MA 2021
O.K. Harris Works of Art, New York, NY, 2012
Watts Fine Art, Zionsville, IN, 2011
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS:
Beth Urdang Gallery, Wellesley, MA 2022
Beth Urdang Gallery, Boston, 2020
Beth Urdang Gallery, Boston, 2017
Beth Urdang Gallery, Boston, 2016
The Vendue, Charleston, S.C. 2015
` M.A. Doran Gallery, Tulsa, OK, 2015
Beth Urdang Gallery, Boston, 2014
Verisimilitude Curator’s Gallery, New York, NY, 2014
Beth Urdang Gallery, Boston, 2014
Doran Gallery, Tulsa, OK, 2013
Galerie De Bellefeuille, Montreal, 2012
Elliott Fouts Gallery, Sacramento, CA, 2011
Doran Gallery, Tulsa, OK, 2011
Beth Urdang Gallery, Boston, 2011
Jean and James Fort Gallery, Hartsville, SC, 2010
O.K. Harris Works of Art, New York, NY, 2010
Jean and James Fort Gallery, Hartsville, SC, 2009
Publications: The Artist’s Magazine, “Plated to Print,” McKenzie Graham, September 2014
Soura Magazine, “Mary Ellen Johnson Nostalgic Flavors,”
Marwa Abou Naja, Vol 1 Issue 37, 2014
Missy Magazine, “Essen ist Fertig!,” Hedi Lusser, February 2013
Daily Mirror, “Take a Bite out of Hyper-Real Food Painting,”
Ann Gripper, March 2012
20 Minutos, “Suculentos Postre Al Oleo,” Helena Celdran March 2012
Southwest Art Magazine, “From Apple to Umami,” December
2011
American Art Collector, “The Art of Composing,” October 2011
Boston Globe, “Playing with Food,” Cate McQuaid, March
2011 She Magazine, “Art & Soul—Mary Ellen Johnson,” November
2010 American Art Collector, “Artist Focus: Mary Ellen Johnson,”
October 2010
Poets & Artists, “Mary Ellen Johnson,” Vol 3 No 4, May 2010
The Messenger, “The Johnsons: A Family of Artists,” Ardie Arvidson
Morning News, “Artists Inseparable in Life’s Works,” Dwight Dana, July 2007
Television: Palmetto People, “Big Food—Mary Ellen Johnson,” Richard Green, July 19, 2010
WBTW News13, 6 O’Clock News, Bob Juback, May 17, 2010
Websites/Blogs: Artist A Day, “Mary Ellen Johnson,” Geoff Pitchford, March 2010
Huffington Post, “Pantagruelian and Decadent—Mary Ellen
Johnson’s Paintings of Big Food,” February 2012
Decadent, “Mary Ellen Johnson’s Paintings of Big Food,” February 2012
Juxtapoz, “Photorealistic Food Paintings by Mary Ellen Johnson,” April 2012
Stylist, “Art for Foodies,” Anna Brech, March 2012
Awards: 2011 Visual Artist of the Year, Black Creek Art Council
1993 Best of Show, Juried Exhibition Kalmia Arts Festival, Kalmia Arts Council, ,
Kalmia Gardens, Hartsville, SC