University of North Alabama’s School of the Arts will present Dr. Mary Beth Johns’ “People Not Portraits” paintings from Feb. 10 until March 21. The reception for the exhibition will be held on March 7 at Gallery 126.
“The nature of intimacy between people in an honest representation is one of my goals,” said Johns in an interview with Lowe Mill Arts and Entertainment. “I even hesitate to use the term portrait.”
UNA Alumni Johns creates detailed illustrations of her with large brushstrokes across a life-size canvas, but leans toward expressionism in her background. Her bold acrylic colors spotlight the person portrayed, accentuating the person’s stature and facial features.
Many of Johns’ paintings portray family or a friend with a neutral expression using their actions and electric colors she uses to express who they are.
“I try to include the subject’s hands and feet because outside of the face – these are the most expressive parts of the body that we can see unclothed,” Johns said in the interview.
While this may seem odd to some viewers, Johns aims to encapsulate the entire individual, deviating from the rules of original portraiture.
“I try to include the artist’s hands and feet because outside of the face, these are the most expressive parts of the body,” Johns said to Lowe Mill A&E. “I recall Alice Neel’s thoughts about her paintings saying, ‘I paint people, not portraits.’”
One of Johns’ self-portraits, “Checking in at 49,” presents the honesty she aims for by illustrating her 49 year old self painting another portrait with a scar across her abdomen.
Several of her other works surround her muse with harsh reds to display power or anger, while others include runny paint to illustrate the carefree nature of the piece.
“I subscribe to the ideals of Expressionism over Realism,” Johns said. “It’s the sincerity in art making that I identify with in this genre.”
Gallery 126 will be open from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. on weekdays during the exhibition. For more information, email [email protected].
