Artwork copyright Thomas Johnston. Photo courtesy of the artist, 1986.

Artwork copyright Thomas Johnston. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2017.

Artwork copyright Thomas Johnston. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2017.

Primary X2, 1982

Thomas Johnston
American (born 1941)

Location: Washington State Patrol - Budget and Fiscal Services, Olympia, Olympia

About the Artwork

Artist Thomas Johnston created the print Primary X2 at a printmaking workshop called Atelier Lacouriere et frelaut in Paris, France. It is part of the artist's exploration of dividing and organizing space in a square. He notes, "In this case a smaller square is located within a larger square of a variety of color brushwork. Within the squares, I have ordered and juxtaposed visual representations of order and chaos, the brushwork with the square and the X across the central square. I was also investigating play of light and color; building a multitude of color from the three primary colors, with a range of values within them, and again, the light X across the central surface."

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Washington State Patrol.

About the Artist

Artist Thomas Johnston is a printmaker, painter, and photographer. He founded the printmaking program at Western Washington University in Bellingham (Northwestern Washington), where he taught for 39 years. After retiring in 2006, Johnston relocated to Olympia, Washington. He has worked independently and held artist residencies in Mexico, Canada, Belgium, England, France, and Italy. He earned a bachelor's degree from San Diego State College and a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara.