About Mary Ellen Johnson "Cherry Cheesecake" Oil on Panel 38 x 27 1/2 Inches Note: This painting is framed in dark cherry wood. Mary Ellen Johnson is internationally recognized as one of the top Photo Realist painters working today whose extraordinary area of expertise is images of food. Johnson actually describes herself as a ‘Precision Realist’ whose primary subject is food - cheesecakes, PB & J sandwiches, parfaits, pancakes, banana splits, ice cream, hot dogs, cupcakes, waffles, muscles, sushi, etc.. These brilliantly painted works capture every nuance and are rendered with amazing precision. Stunningly beautiful and incomparably 'real,' her paintings are a delight in terms of subject matter, color, perfect composition, and whimsy, with an approachable quality that elevates them far beyond expertly executed mechanical renderings. Unequaled for their brilliance and dramatic depictions of mundane subjects with their connotations of nostalgia, comfort and tradition, it is also her scale, cropping and extraordinary technical skill that render these works so overwhelmingly appealing. Johnson's paintings are acknowledged by the leading collectors in the country to represent the very best of the Photorealist tradition: “I make the panels large to give a monumental feeling to the painting when viewed. These large images not only confront the viewer with their size but with their tremendous sense of extravagance. My work explores the deep connection that food has with humanity.” Mary Ellen Johnson Included among the many accolades received for Johnson's work is a commission by the Canadian Government to paint 5 of Canada's favorite foods, images which were then translated into stamps, as well as a commission from The Cheesecake Factory's chain of restaurants for a "Strawberry Cheesecake with Whipped Cream" for their corporate headquarters in California. MARY ELLEN JOHNSON Born: 1967, West Long Branch, NJ. Education: Ringling School of Art and Design, Sarasota, FL, 1989. Exhibitions: ONE PERSON EXHIBITIONS: Beth Urdang Gallery, Wellesley, MA 2021 O.K. Harris Works of Art, New York, NY, 2012 Watts Fine Art, Zionsville, IN, 2011 SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS: Beth Urdang Gallery, Wellesley, MA 2022 Beth Urdang Gallery, Boston, 2020 Beth Urdang Gallery, Boston, 2017 Beth Urdang Gallery, Boston, 2016 The Vendue, Charleston, S.C. 2015 ` M.A. Doran Gallery, Tulsa, OK, 2015 Beth Urdang Gallery, Boston, 2014 Verisimilitude Curator’s Gallery, New York, NY, 2014 Beth Urdang Gallery, Boston, 2014 Doran Gallery, Tulsa, OK, 2013 Galerie De Bellefeuille, Montreal, 2012 Elliott Fouts Gallery, Sacramento, CA, 2011 Doran Gallery, Tulsa, OK, 2011 Beth Urdang Gallery, Boston, 2011 Jean and James Fort Gallery, Hartsville, SC, 2010 O.K. Harris Works of Art, New York, NY, 2010 Jean and James Fort Gallery, Hartsville, SC, 2009 Publications: The Artist’s Magazine, “Plated to Print,” McKenzie Graham, September 2014 Soura Magazine, “Mary Ellen Johnson Nostalgic Flavors,” Marwa Abou Naja, Vol 1 Issue 37, 2014 Missy Magazine, “Essen ist Fertig!,” Hedi Lusser, February 2013 Daily Mirror, “Take a Bite out of Hyper-Real Food Painting,” Ann Gripper, March 2012 20 Minutos, “Suculentos Postre Al Oleo,” Helena Celdran March 2012 Southwest Art Magazine, “From Apple to Umami,” December 2011 American Art Collector, “The Art of Composing,” October 2011 Boston Globe, “Playing with Food,” Cate McQuaid, March 2011 She Magazine, “Art & Soul—Mary Ellen Johnson,” November 2010 American Art Collector, “Artist Focus: Mary Ellen Johnson,” October 2010 Poets & Artists, “Mary Ellen Johnson,” Vol 3 No 4, May 2010 The Messenger, “The Johnsons: A Family of Artists,” Ardie Arvidson Morning News, “Artists Inseparable in Life’s Works,” Dwight Dana, July 2007 Television: Palmetto People, “Big Food—Mary Ellen Johnson,” Richard Green, July 19, 2010 WBTW News13, 6 O’Clock News, Bob Juback, May 17, 2010 Websites/Blogs: Artist A Day, “Mary Ellen Johnson,” Geoff Pitchford, March 2010 Huffington Post, “Pantagruelian and Decadent—Mary Ellen Johnson’s Paintings of Big Food,” February 2012 Decadent, “Mary Ellen Johnson’s Paintings of Big Food,” February 2012 Juxtapoz, “Photorealistic Food Paintings by Mary Ellen Johnson,” April 2012 Stylist, “Art for Foodies,” Anna Brech, March 2012 Awards: 2011 Visual Artist of the Year, Black Creek Art Council 1993 Best of Show, Juried Exhibition Kalmia Arts Festival, Kalmia Arts Council, , Kalmia Gardens, Hartsville, SC
