iskra johnson

Iskra Johnson, artist

As principle of Iskra Design I have been working with the alphabet for many years, providing custom letterform solutions for book covers, logotypes, and package branding. In the first decade of my career I studied Asian calligraphy, haiga, T'ai Chi and sumie painting. I also have a BFA in Painting from the University of Washington. I draw much of my inspiration from the interplay between the contemplative sensibility of traditional Asian art and a more Western need for invention and a degree of uncharted agitation.

My current fine art ranges in style and media to fit my obsessions. I have a background in printmaking and have always sought the aesthetic of etching, lithography, and silk screen in my work. I love surfaces that are bitten and etched, indirect and calligraphic mark making, and subtlety. I also adore the flat screaming color of silkscreen, and the graphic qualities of stencils.

Due to early exposure to solvents I have been unable to work in a traditional printmaking studio or with traditional inks, and this has pushed me to devise my own tactics to create the look and process of printmaking without a press. I tackle a piece of paper as though it is a plate, but the "plate" becomes the final piece of art.

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS

Contemporary Printmakers, December 2004, Seattle Center Harrison Street Gallery

Painters Under Pressure, Fall 2005, John Page Gallery, Seattle Washington

Natural Forms: Artistic Impressions (Invitational), February-June 2006, University House Wallingford, Seattle Washington

Greenwood Artwalk juried exhibition, June 2007, Seattle Washington

Ballard Artwalk at Shakti Vinyasa, June-August, 2007