Site: North Dakota

About the Work

From the Artist

I print directly in generally emotive, only slightly pre-planned sequence with the artistic expectation of directly evolving the proof to wherever it needs to go. Many colors and stages later, a finished limited edition emerges. Artmaking has paralleled my classroom teaching and administrating at the University of the Arts [Philadelphia], while each path has enhanced the other…Often, I just start, and just keep building it until I feel comfortable with it.
_{—Excerpted from Lois M. Johnson Interview: https://vimeo.com/16395583, accessed 6-24-2021}

Artwork should be judged on what it presents to the individual viewer. How it is done, or by whom, is of secondary importance...I maintain the message offered by a particular piece of art depends entirely upon the viewer. If the work is too predictable, that’s not good.
_{—Excerpted from Grand Forks Herald, ND, 1974}

Lois Johnson's Site: North Dakota, 1982, is an autobiographical work that describes a period of her life spent in Grand Forks, ND. It is also a commentary on the processes of silkscreen and photography. Johnson's imagery is built around the front-page of a local North Dakota newspaper, incorporating intricate layers of text within the collaged visuals. Alluding to the methodical process of making the print, the negatives presented to the viewer highlight the importance of worldly events and personal history to the artist. The painterly marks of vibrant colors coupled with the photographic images provide a physical connection to the artist's hand and expression.
—From Brandywine Workshop and Archives records