Show Details.
Blackwork: The Way. By Henry "Jeorge" Johnson
November 20th, 2026
5-9pm @ The Velvet Art Gallery
102 S Cherokee Ave, Dothan, AL 36301
Artist Statement
The planned exhibition will showcase an anthology of approximately twenty to twenty-five drawings. Each drawing will be eighteen inches by twenty-four inches (18” x 24”) of varying orientation. It is an anthological exploration of style and symbol.
I will pull from various influences like christian iconography (eastern and western), American traditional tattoo art, vintage graphic design and medieval art. To explore the wide range of black and white renderings without losing their punch, ink and black color pencil will be used. A colorless body of work not only provides a crisp graphic delivery. It eliminates clutter and avoids delving into symbolic uses of color.
The subjects focused on for this exhibition are symbolic christian images. I try to represent common signs and symbols from the christian tradition so that they relate to the viewer. At the least I attempt not to illustrate the obscure without explanation. There will be some symbolic language that has developed through personal usage- idiosyncratic motifs.