About
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Mark Johnson was born in New York City in 1964 and works in New York and Portland, Maine. He holds a BA from Oberlin College and an MA from New York University.

His paintings and prints have been shown in the United States and abroad, including the 2025 Biennial at the Center for Maine Contemporary Art, Planthouse Gallery (New York, NY), Susan Maasch Fine Art (Portland, ME), and the Print Center New York. His work appears in Color: A Workshop for Artists and Designers by David Hornung.

Beyond the studio, Mark designed and built a residential house, a barn, and small cabins, reflecting his ongoing interest in material, space, and form, and he is also a guitarist in a rock band.

Artist Statement

In 1969, two experiences shaped my perspective: watching the first human walk on the moon and moving with my family to India for a year. One unfolded in space, the other on Earth, but together they opened a seemingly boundless world—forming a foundation for both my worldview and my approach to art.

Across paintings and prints, my work explores scale, perception, and presence. Whether immersed in a marine environment or contemplating cosmic forces, materials and process give abstract ideas and natural phenomena tangible, physical form, creating a space for reflection. 

Storm, Fog and Moon Paintings

The experience of living for extended periods of time on Pumpkin Knob, a small island in Casco Bay Maine without electricity or running water, is at the core of my paintings. I am literally surrounded by weather, tides, moon cycles, cloud formations and the play of wind, all offering a world in constant motion and flux. The physical landscape and the transient states of the sea and sky, provide endless opportunities to explore an ongoing interest in combining opposites – abstraction and representation, movement and stillness, near and far, the known and the unknown – while also underscoring my view of art as both a form of communication and a means for contemplation.

Storms and fog have been central subjects, and what started as a new painting challenge of a perpetually dynamic subject, more and more has become a metaphor for our times.

Space, Time and Dark Matter Paintings

Observations from the Hubble and Webb telescopes have expanded how we see the Universe — and the questions we can ask about it. The Space and Time paintings consider origins, development, and the unseen forces shaping the cosmos, translating vast, intangible systems into tangible forms.

Prints

Digital, silkscreen, and etching prints exploring dark matter and energy, which make up ninety-six percent of the Universe. Visible matter is just four percent — a reminder of how much of reality remains unseen. These prints combine cosmic concepts with views of our solar system and distant galaxies.

Chart Series and Galaxies are intaglio prints created using digital tools, laser cutting, and traditional print techniques. Years of experimentation with new and established media result in images that bridge technology, process, and imagination.