Gerry Johansson:
In Plain View
20 Sep—2 Nov 2024In Plain View is the first solo show of renowned Swedish photographer Gerry Johansson in London and we have selected 30 exceptional photographs that span the six decades of his career.
“There are several common denominators found throughout Gerry Johansson’s work that become apparent with even casual viewing” writes Jeffrey Ladd in the accompanying text. “Some of those shared characteristics are obvious at first glance, for instance; the physicality of several of Johansson's books and exhibition print sizes, the apparent use of traditional analog materials; while other traits like the sense of stillness, the seeming perpetual daylight, and the camera's steady almost drone-like orientation to the world set an underlying commonality. Perhaps a trait most recognizable is his choice of working primarily in black and white. Black and white photography has its way of automatically referencing the distant past and many photographers question its use considering the ease of the color processes today but Johansson's explanation for the choice rings honest and unpretentious, linked not with an artistic "strategy," but with choices informed by the pleasures of perception.
What I find refreshing about Johansson's work is the sense one feels of his enjoyment of moving through an unfamiliar landscape and simply taking in what is before him. The work seems formed not in the mind first, but through the physical footsteps he takes and directness at which he looks. This is not unique to Johansson by any stretch, but the sense of solitude and fullness of his frames are a reward for those who pause and look.”
Gerry Johansson, born 1945 in Örebro, lives in Höganäs, Sweden. Johansson studied graphic design in Gothenburg in the late 1960s. His work has been exhibited at distinguished museums and institutions internationally, including the Kunsthalle Rostock in Germany; Museum of Modern Art in Bogota, Colombia; Hasselblad Center in Göteborg and the Moderna Museet in Stockholm, Sweden. Johansson has produced a large number of books including the recently published ‘Spanish Summer’ and ‘American Winter’, both MACK and was awarded the Swedish Arts Grants Committee’s Award and the prestigious Lars Tunbjörk Prize.
Jeffrey Ladd is an American photographer based in Cologne, Germany. Ladd has written extensively about photography. He is a co-founder of Errata Editions and author of A Field Measure Survey of American Architecture (MACK).
“There are several common denominators found throughout Gerry Johansson’s work that become apparent with even casual viewing” writes Jeffrey Ladd in the accompanying text. “Some of those shared characteristics are obvious at first glance, for instance; the physicality of several of Johansson's books and exhibition print sizes, the apparent use of traditional analog materials; while other traits like the sense of stillness, the seeming perpetual daylight, and the camera's steady almost drone-like orientation to the world set an underlying commonality. Perhaps a trait most recognizable is his choice of working primarily in black and white. Black and white photography has its way of automatically referencing the distant past and many photographers question its use considering the ease of the color processes today but Johansson's explanation for the choice rings honest and unpretentious, linked not with an artistic "strategy," but with choices informed by the pleasures of perception.
What I find refreshing about Johansson's work is the sense one feels of his enjoyment of moving through an unfamiliar landscape and simply taking in what is before him. The work seems formed not in the mind first, but through the physical footsteps he takes and directness at which he looks. This is not unique to Johansson by any stretch, but the sense of solitude and fullness of his frames are a reward for those who pause and look.”
Gerry Johansson, born 1945 in Örebro, lives in Höganäs, Sweden. Johansson studied graphic design in Gothenburg in the late 1960s. His work has been exhibited at distinguished museums and institutions internationally, including the Kunsthalle Rostock in Germany; Museum of Modern Art in Bogota, Colombia; Hasselblad Center in Göteborg and the Moderna Museet in Stockholm, Sweden. Johansson has produced a large number of books including the recently published ‘Spanish Summer’ and ‘American Winter’, both MACK and was awarded the Swedish Arts Grants Committee’s Award and the prestigious Lars Tunbjörk Prize.
Jeffrey Ladd is an American photographer based in Cologne, Germany. Ladd has written extensively about photography. He is a co-founder of Errata Editions and author of A Field Measure Survey of American Architecture (MACK).