Background
Johnson, George was born on April 6, 1926 in Wilmington, North Carolina, United States. Son of George W. and Evelyn (Hill) Johnson.
Johnson, George was born on April 6, 1926 in Wilmington, North Carolina, United States. Son of George W. and Evelyn (Hill) Johnson.
Johnson studied art under the emigre artist and Bauhaus graduate Theo Schoon, who confirmed an early commitment to modernist art, especially Geometric Abstraction. He graduated from Wellington Technical College in 1947.
Early career
Move to Australia
Johnson decided to relocate to Melbourne, Australia, in 1951 where he was soon drawn into contemporary art circles, mixing with Leonard French, Roger Kemp, Inge King, Julius Kane, Peter Graham, Clement Meadmore and others He held his first solo exhibition there at the age of 30 in 1956, a selection of boldly geometric abstractions which set the art scene buzzing. By this time he was sharing a studio with French and the pair experienced increasing friction from the Heide Circle.
The latter artists eventually formed the Antipodeans Group, staging an exhibition in August 1959, initially to make a stand against Johnson, French, Kemp and a growing number of non-objectivist followers, although increasingly to express their opposition to American Abstract Expressionism which they feared was about to overwhelm Australian art
Johnson has remained unwaveringly committed to geometric abstraction in the many decades since, producing paintings that are stylistically and intellectually indebted to Russian Constructivism. Vanya Taule"alo, the renowned Pasifika artist, is George"s daughter.
Louis Johnson, the celebrated poet and author, was George"s brother.
Served to First lieutenant infantry Army of the United States, 1944-1946. Member American Medical Association (representative to house of deals from SCVS 1994), University Association EmergencyMed. Superior vena cava syndrome (president 1973), American Society Surgical Assns., North Carolina Board Medical Examiners, International Cardiovascular Society (vice president 1989-1993), International Society Cardiovascular Surgery (president 1985-1986), American College of Surgeons (president North Carolina chapter, governor 1977-1983, 91-96, trauma committee 1974-1981, Executive Board trauma committee 1977-1981), Southern University Surgeons, Southern Association Vascular Surgery (secretary-treasurer 1981-1985, president-elect 1986, president 1987), Durham-Orange County Medical Society (president 1971), Halsted Society, American Venous Forum (president 1992).
Married Marian Patterson Ritchie, July 1, 1950. Children: Sally Hope, George William, David Ritchie, Robert Hill.