Mitchell Johnson: Two San Francisco Exhibitions of Large-Scale Paintings

""Color, color relationships, pattern and form are the hallmarks of Mitchell Johnson's achievement. Contemplating the growth and movement of his efforts over the years, we experience his intent, instinct and intuition. We become aware of his affinities with Morandi and Albers, and with Bonnard, Vuillard and Fairfield Porter. Johnson has remarked that he tries to "combine Morandi's feeling for composition with Albers' intelligence about color." And he exhibits an inspirational and perhaps emotional relationship with the work of Fairfield Porter.""

""At 555 California Street, Giant Abstract and Landscape Works (Selected Paintings 2012-2025) features 11 78 x 120 inch canvases, including the brand new "Race Point Bench" (2026) inspired by Giorgio de Chirico and Giorgio Morandi, as well as "Tokyo" (2012-2014), made after several trips to Japan. The 555 California show will also feature two San Francisco cityscapes, which include the building itself.""

Two San Francisco skyscrapers host public exhibitions of Mitchell Johnson's large-scale paintings spanning 2008–2026. One exhibition focuses on New England scenes, primarily Cape Porpoise, Maine and Cape Cod, drawn from regular painting trips since 2005. The other exhibition presents giant abstract and landscape canvases, including eleven 78 x 120 inch works and new pieces such as Race Point Bench (2026) and Tokyo (2012–2014). The shows include cityscapes that incorporate the hosting building. Johnson's work emphasizes color relationships, pattern, and form, and shows affinities with Morandi, Albers, Bonnard, Vuillard, and Fairfield Porter, combining compositional sensitivity with color intelligence.

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