Inhabited World by Ynez Johnston
This is a spectacular, colorful, abstract etching and aquatint by noted modern artist Ynez Johnston. It is titled Inhabited World. The piece is intricately designed and etched with symbols and shapes that at a distance look familiar, but on close inspection defy description. Certain parts of the piece look like pictographs or petroglyphs. The dark portion at the top contains symbols that are reminiscent of hieroglyphs or other pictorial languages. This is not surprising given the artist's interest in the art of many cultures observed in her travels. All of this is viewed through a cloud of diffuse colors given the piece an abstract, surrealist feel that blends modernism with ancient art forms. An incredible etching by an accomplished master. The piece is signed and dated lower right in pencil, Ynez Johnston imp 1962. Also in pencil, the title "Inhabited World" is lower center and the edition 23/210 lower left. It appears to be in very good condition, but has not been examined out of the frame. The plate size is 11.5 x 18 inches and the frame size is 19.5 x 27 inches. The framing materials are not archival. This has led to a bit of mat burn at the periphery of the sheet well away from the image. There appears to be some mild toning as well. The mounting may be loosening, as the sheet is a bit wavy, but no creases or wrinkles. Otherwise it is well-struck and inked. There is no fading, foxing, staining, tears, or paper loss. A very dramatic piece typical of the artist's work.
Ynez Johnston (1920-2019) (from the artist's estate website) "...was born in Berkeley, California. She attended the University of California, Berkeley where she studied drafting, painting and printmaking with Worth Ryder, Erle Loran and Margaret Peterson. Johnston’s unique style blends modernism and ancient art forms from her travels to Italy, Mexico, India and Nepal. In addition to her intricate prints and paintings, Johnston also created three dimensional pieces in collaboration with her husband, poet and novelist John Berry, and with ceramic sculptor Adam Mekler.
Her watercolors, oils and etchings of the 1950s and 1960s were rich with complex imagery, and displayed a disciplined, restrained use of color. In later mixed-media pieces, she examined the tactile qualities of surface. Her paintings incorporated oil, acrylic, dyes, encaustic on cloth, canvas, and raw silk. Composite forms suggest ambiguous architectural, human, animal and plant shapes. Johnston cited Persian and Indian miniatures as influences but also drew inspiration from European abstract artists Matisse, Miro, Klee and Picasso.
In 1951, a selection of her paintings and etchings were featured in an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art. Subsequently, she received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, a Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship, first place in watercolor at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1952, and Fresno Art Museum’s Distinguished Artist Award in 1992. Her work is in the collections [of] several prominent institutions, including the Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art." In total over 60 museums hold her work. In addition to those listed previously, her work is represented in the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Art Institute of Chicago, the National Gallery of Art, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Detroit Institute of Arts, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. A major retrospective of her work is planned for 2026
Artist statement: “Painting is for me like a voyage into oceans known and unknown, depths and distances ultimately unfathomable. The end of the voyage is never what one might have anticipated.”
Price: $985
Framed Size: 19.5 x 27 inches
Plate Size: 11.5 x 18 inches
Condition: Very Good
Medium: Aquatint Etching
Subject: Abstract
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