Claudette Johnson
2018
Pastel and gouache on paper
163 x 133 cm
In recent years, Claudette Johnson has made large-scale drawings from found images as well as from people who sit for her in the studio, often family and friends. The sitter here is a friend who has modelled for the artist on several occasions. Johnson does not consider her work to be portraiture in the traditional sense of conveying the specific identity of a subject. Rather, she aims to create an experience of the humanity and vitality of the figures she depicts. In this work, we become immersed in the woman’s contemplation as waves of blue, a colour often associated with serenity or melancholy, ripple across her clothes.