John Guy Johnston is a multi-disciplinary artist. In recent years, the primary focus of his art has been environmental sustainability in relation to capitalism and commercial activity. The current body of work focuses on capitalism in relation to investing, the global investment community, stock markets, and publicly traded companies.
John has exhibited work in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand periodically since the early 1990s, and has worked extensively in interactive design and media. He completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts with Honours (First Class) from Ilam School of Fine Arts, and then a Master of Visual Arts from the Sydney College of the Arts. He lived in Sydney for many years after completing postgraduate study, before returning to Aotearoa New Zealand with his family in 2011.
Born Ōtautahi Christchurch, lives in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland
Art Education
Master of Visual Arts, Sydney College of the Arts, University of Sydney, Australia
Bachelor of Fine Arts, First Class Honours, Canterbury (Ilam) School of Fine Arts, New Zealand
Exhibitions, Projects, Articles
2021
The Art of Value, Merit Award winner, 2021 NZ National Contemporary Art Award, Waikato Museum (group)
2020
Plastic Age, Corban Estate Arts Centre, Homestead Gallery (Dec 2020 – Feb 2021, solo)
The Last Straw, Finalist, Molly Morpeth Canaday Award 3D,
Whakatāne Exhibition Centre, Te Kōputu a te whanga a Toi, Whakatāne (group)
2019
Tāmaki River / Te Wai o Taiki, Finalist, Estuary Art & Ecology Prize, Malcolm Smith Gallery, Auckland (group)
Enough Rope, site-specific installation, Splore Festival 20th anniversary, Tāpapakanga Regional Park, Auckland (group)
Under-Construction: Arts on Climate Change, All Goods Arts Space, Avondale, Auckland (group)
Daily Bread, site-specific installation, Te Whau Eatery, Whau Arts Festival 2019, Auckland
2018
Enough Rope, Finalist, Estuary Art & Ecology Prize, Malcolm Smith Gallery, Auckland (group)
ArtWest, Auckland (group)
Site-specific installation, Whau Arts Festival, Auckland (group)
2017
Article: Previous site-specific artwork, Five Eyes Network Outpost, featured in peer-reviewed journal Westminster Papers in Communication and Culture, London: Visibility, Power and Citizen Intervention: The Five Eyes and New Zealand’s Southern Cross Cable, by Ally McCrow-Young https://www.westminsterpapers.org/articles/10.16997/wpcc.259/
2016
Finalist, National Contemporary Art Award, Waikato Museum (group)
ArtWest, Auckland (group)
2013-14
Five Eyes Network Outpost (site-specific guerilla artwork), sited at the landing point of Southern Cross Internet Cable, Takapuna Beach, Auckland, with associated social media (independent solo project)
2013
Finalist, inaugural Parkin Drawing Prize, Wellington (group)
Downfall, independent street poster project, Auckland Central (independent solo project)
Selected previous solo exhibitions
Face Value, Gallery 19, Sydney
John Johnston, Pendulum Gallery, Sydney
John Johnston, First Draft Gallery, Sydney
New Release, Artspace, Auckland
More, Canberra Contemporary Artspace, Canberra
The John Johnston Collection, Linden Gallery, Melbourne
Stock, First Draft Galley, Sydney
Limited Edition, Ether Ohnetitel Gallery, Melbourne
Stranger, Australian Centre For Photography, Sydney
Circus, Artspace, Auckland
Recovery, High Street Project Gallery, Christchurch,
and Hamish McKay Gallery, Wellington
A Comfortable Environment, Ilam Campus Gallery, Christchurch