Max Johnston

Max Johnston is a Chicago-born artist now working and living in Toronto, Ontario. The artist is known for his rebellious creative streak in the 1980’s when he created graffiti art across Toronto under alias, REN. Throughout this time, he used the city like a blank canvas and tagged the urban landscape with his 80’s style aerosol graffiti lettering. His rise to acclaim coincided with the rise of other contemporary graffiti artists Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, and Richard Hambleton. Since then, Johnston has been an important figure in the Canadian art scene, formally exhibiting his work across Toronto as well as international art fairs. Issue Wire has called Johnston one of the “Godfathers of Toronto Graffiti Art”. 

 

Since the 1990’s, Max Johnston’s paintings experiment with the limits of pigment as a medium, creating a sense of pop colour within his work. Some of his works are distinct through their texture and dimensionality, at times using the material in thick layers or knots across the canvas. His other works, often made with oil on canvas, are smooth while creating an illusion of depth through his intricate figuration. He has been working with Christopher Cutts Gallery since 1992. His most recent solo exhibition with the gallery “Quarter Century Survey” was displayed from February to March 2016.

Max Johnston (b. 1967, United States)

 

Education
1986 Inglenook Community High School

 

Select Solo Exhibitions
2020 New Works, Christopher Cutts Gallery, Toronto, CA
2016 Quarter Century Survey, Christopher Cutts Gallery, Toronto, CA
2014 Dimensional Oscillation, Christopher Cutts Gallery, Toronto, CA
2009 When Two Arts Collide, Christopher Cutts Gallery, Toronto, CA
2003 New Paintings, Christopher Cutts Gallery, Toronto, CA
2001 Cross-Sections, Christopher Cutts Gallery, Toronto, CA
2000 Max Johnston & John Kennedy, Woolfitt’s Gallery, Toronto, CA
1999 Knot Paintings, Christopher Cutts Gallery, Toronto, CA
1996 Monochromatic Impressions, Christopher Cutts Gallery, Toronto, CA
1994 Johnston & Gorman, Christopher Cutts Gallery, Toronto, CA
1992 West & Johnston, Christopher Cutts Gallery, Toronto, CA
1991 Kasper-Hauser Gallery, Toronto, CA
1986 The Inglenook Gallery, Toronto, CA

 

Selected Group Exhibitions
2023 Director’s Choice, Christopher Cutts Gallery, Toronto, CA
2019 Winter Blast, Christopher Cutts Gallery, Toronto, CA
2018 Summer Group Show, Christopher Cutts Gallery, Toronto, CA
2015 Summer Group Exhibition, Christopher Cutts Gallery, Toronto, CA
2015 Director’s Choice 2, Christopher Cutts Gallery, Toronto, CA
2013 Winter Solstice Painting Extravaganza, Christopher Cutts Gallery, Toronto, CA
2011 Bakers Dozen, Christopher Cutts Gallery, Toronto, CA
2008 Christmas Party, Christopher Cutts Gallery, Toronto, CA
2006 Abstract Painting, Christopher Cutts Gallery, Toronto, CA
2004 XXX… The Summer Show, Christopher Cutts Gallery, Toronto, CA
2002 15 Year Anniversary, Christopher Cutts Gallery, Toronto, CA
2001 The Society of Canadian Artists 34th Annual Open Juried Exhibition, John B. Aird Gallery. Awarded: Best Painting in Acrylic.
2000 Art of Our Century, Part II, Appleton Museum of Art,
Modern Art at Millennium’s End, Ocala US
1999 Under Forty, Christopher Cutts Gallery, Toronto, CA
1998 Summer Show, Christopher Cutts Gallery, Toronto, CA
1995 Chinese New Year Show, Christopher Cutts Gallery, Toronto, CA
1993 Christmas Show, Christopher Cutts Gallery, Toronto, CA
1992 Christmas Show, Christopher Cutts Gallery,  Toronto, CA
1991 Max Johnston & Michael Kuhlmann,Cafe Des Arts,  Toronto, CA
1990 Jungle, The Purple Institution, Toronto, CA
Jungle, ABC No Rio, New York, US
1983 The Inglenook Gallery, Toronto, CA

 

Art Fairs
2004 Scope LA, Los Angeles, US
2004 Scope New York, New York, US
2001 Toronto International Art Fair, Toronto, CA
2000 Art Forum Berlin, Berlin, DE

 

Bibliography
Mays, John Bentley, “Harmony of opposites rich in possibilities”, Globe and Mail, May 28, 1994

 

Collections
OMERS Collection, Toronto, CA
Claridge Collection, Montreal, CA
Jim Blake, Kitchener, CA
Emily and Ona Ceponis, Brooklyn, US
J.W. Davidge III, US
Denis E. M. Emard, Toronto, CA
Diane Heatherington, Toronto, CA
Steve Henderson, Toronto, CA
Robert Johnston, Toronto, CA
Michele Kuhlman, Toronto, CA
Jonathan Leonard, Toronto, CA
Christina Lion, Paris, FR
Ron Martin, Toronto, CA
Mary McDade, Two Silver City, US
A. M. McDade, Toronto, CA
Jill McKay, Toronto, CA
Laurie McQuillen, Toronto, CA
Sally Ponce, Toronto, CA
Shearman & Sterling, Toronto, CA
Becky Singleton, Toronto, CA
Daisuke Takeya, Toronto, CA
Keith & Tanja Thompson, Toronto, CA
Justin Wuohela, Toronto, CA
Lisa Wuohela, Toronto, CA

 

Other Activities

Interviews:
2001 Seize + Flow, Under Pressure Magazine, Montreal
1993 Rita Deverell, Arts Express, Vision/TV, Toronto
1988 Wayne Tardiff, Vox Magazine, Calgary

Featured Artwork

Past Exhibitions

Director’s Choice 2023
2023 Jan 21 - Feb 25
Max Johnston – New Works / Mat Brown – The Great Reset
2020 Nov 07 - Apr 05
Winter Blast
2019 Jan 12 - Feb 09
Summer Group Show
2018 Jul 12 - Aug 01
Max Johnston – Quarter Century Survey
2016 Feb 06 - Mar 02
SUMMER GROUP EXHIBITION
2015 Jul 16 - Aug 29
DIRECTOR’S CHOICE II
2015 Feb 28 - Mar 25
Winter Solstice Painting Extravaganza
2013 Jan 02 - 31
Bakers Dozen
2011 Feb 10 - Mar 05
Max Johnston – When Two Arts Collide
2009 Jun 25 - Aug 01
Christmas Party 2008
2008 Dec 18 - Jan 31
Abstract Painting
2006 Mar 04 - Apr 01

Publications

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