Georgia State University professor and artist Medford Johnston has collected works of art since 1972 with a specific interest in abstract artwork. Johnston and his wife, Loraine, are committed to cultivating an appreciation for the artistry of collecting to inspire the next generation of aspiring collectors. The newest exhibit at the High Museum of Art allows the Johnstons to put their collection on display with this goal in mind for the first time.
“Med and Loraine’s collection struck me at once by its single-minded focus on a specific moment in time, which was essentially the time of their contemporaries,” said Michael Rooks, the High’s Wieland Family Senior Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art and personal friend of the Johnstons. Although the Johnstons have been building their compendium for over 50 years, Rooks has worked closely with the Johnstons to bring their art to the High for the past 14 years. In 2019, the Johnstons promised their collection as a gift to the High. Rooks and the Johnstons have put forth a concerted effort in the past three years to bring the collection to the High in order to be enjoyed by Atlanta.
Stepping through the exhibit takes the observer through several different eras of the contemporary art movement, primarily defined as diverse and experimental to reject the traditional art movements. The artists of this time often lacked a unifying art technique or style, opting instead to emphasize a personal and cultural identity.
Minimalism is a recurring development throughout the gallery, accented particularly in the first section with works by Sol LeWitt and Anne Truit. LeWitt applied the abstract visual vocabulary of minimalism within studies of the cube, producing works including “Forms Derived from a Cube” and “Drawing for a Structure.” Truit delved into space and form using an experimental simplicity, exemplified in her work “Ink Drawing ‘59 [11].”
Highlighted by geometries, lyricism and sequences, Process art in the contemporary movement was a difference in the mentality of artists. The objectivity of minimalism was replaced by the celebration of materials and methods used in art through a performative outcome. As a result of the Process movement, multimedia artists excelled; Bruce Conner produced “Inkblot Drawing – 2/17/95” and Katia Santibañez’s “A Touch of Silence” utilized grid structures to shape their works. These works lend themselves as an introduction to the processes sections of the exhibit.
A unique aspect of this collection is drawings and sketches by renowned sculptors, a rare acquisition that was only available to the Johnstons through friendships and professional relationships from Johnston’s academic and artistic career. This includes Conner’s “Inkblot Drawing – 2/17/95,” as well as sketches similar to Martin Puryear’s “Untitled,” a preliminary drawing of a planned sculpture.
Within processes, geometries worked in opposition to minimalism. Artists combined linear clarity with flat colors and could be further divided by hard-edged and geometric abstraction, the former applying sharp lines with defined boundaries and the latter involving fluid and dynamic movement. Puryear’s “Untitled” exemplified the geometric processes section of this collection. Although Medford Johnston’s personal works are not featured in this exhibit, he adhered to strict geometric practices.
The exhibit ends with many works in Lyrical Abstraction, a movement that contrasts the reductive minimalist works seen in this collection. Characterized by energetic colors and indistinct forms, this section serves as a great end to the collection. Observing the shelf-like work of Stanley Whitney in “Untitled” is exuberant — Whitney’s works often reflected the jazz music he would listen to while performing art. In another “Untitled” piece, Charles Arnoldi communicated rhythm and energy through strong brushstrokes to stimulate passion and emotion in the viewer.
The exhibition of the Johnstons’ collection is a fine celebration of art while demonstrating the art of collecting itself.
“We are honored that they have promised to leave their collection to the Museum where it will be preserved for future generations,” said the High’s Director Rand Suffolk.
The “Thinking Eye, Seeing Mind: The Medford and Loraine Johnston Collection” is on display in the High Museum of Art from Jan. 17 until May 25, 2025.