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BRTV: Bold, Bright, Vibrant | A conversation with LeRoi Johnson about his work on display now at Burchfield Penney Art Center

The LEROI: Living in Color exhibit is eye-catching, radiant, and inspired. As soon as a visitor walks into the Burchfield Penney Art Center, they are greeted with an array of vibrant color.  

“People always ask me about color, and I’m like, this is just something that’s naturally innate within me, that I use.” LeRoi Johnson told us.

“I don’t specifically address the issue of color within itself, I just paint what I see and feel when I paint.  I am surprised that people see the color and always mention color because I don’t see it myself.  Maybe that is why people see the color that I don’t see.”    

Johnson’s life has been filled with color, art, and artistic personalities. Working as the manager for his brother, Rick James, Johnson had access to many of the world’s most artistic spaces and people.  Of his experience in the night clubs of New York City in the 1970’s, Johnson shared, that they “brought out the most creative of the creative people of that era… They brought out people who were not only creative in their work, but they were creative in the way they dressed and the way they thought. So, I mean, that had an impact on me.  Because one of the things that you notice is they had this intellectual freedom. And that’s part of being a successful artist.  You reach a level where you’re free within yourself, in terms of whatever your style you have and you understand that this is your style and this is you.”

Johnson’s style is clearly on display at the Burchfield Penney.  The intricate designs and colors that are featured in his work have a deeper meaning that may shift, expand or change for the viewer the longer they look at the exhibit. 

“There are stories within stories in almost every one of my pieces,” said Johnson, “It’s not always what you think most of those pieces are… Art gets you involved and thinking in social matters and community matters.”  

In addition to being a celebrated artist, LeRoi Johnson is also a lawyer.  His practice as an artist has definitely expanded the way in which he works.  When asked about the connection between the two professions, Johnson said, “You are looking for some kind of truth in your work in both of them, and at the same time you are dealing with, what is the “is” there, what “is” really happening? So I kind of take the thing that the “is” is, and then I toy with that.  I think by having that experience in art, you kind of want to do the same thing in law. You want to be creative, but you are restricted with law, but I never start with the law is… I start with how I’d like to arrive at an endpoint, and then apply the law.”

LeRoi Johnson is based locally.  He says “[Buffalo] is a great city for inspiration. First of all, you have the time in Buffalo to be inspired.”  He also feels strongly about the necessity for art in the city.  “The culturals are going to save Buffalo.”

LEROI: Living in Color is on display at the Burchfield Penney until March 26, 2023

The post BRTV: Bold, Bright, Vibrant | A conversation with LeRoi Johnson about his work on display now at Burchfield Penney Art Center appeared first on Buffalo Rising.

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