SUSAN R. JOHNSON
SYMMETRICAL BODIES
April 26th- June 14th, 2025
gallery neptune & brown is pleased to present our first solo exhibition with American artist, Susan R. Johnson.
Johnson observes the world through the lens of a cultural historian. In her exhibition Symmetrical Bodies, Johnson uses the unattainable perfection and beauty of bodily symmetry to comment on the social representation of women, glamor, and domesticity. Through the distortions of these images, Johnson questions and re-imagines these “perfect bodies”, confronting societal notions of beauty that influence our understanding of female identity.
Johnson creates imagery that falls into three categories: Les Célèbres delves into the idea of self-fashioning—the crafting of one’s identity and public image in response to societal and cultural norms. The Headless Woman alludes to Surrealist artist Max Ernst’s La Femme 100 tetes (1929) and creates a conversation between historical and contemporary issues. The Curiouser, inspired by Alice in Wonderland, explores themes of reality versus perception. All three themes develop a network of narratives that spark dialogue and challenge concepts of female identity.
Johnson creates imagery that falls into three categories: Les Célèbres delves into the idea of self-fashioning—the crafting of one’s identity and public image in response to societal and cultural norms. The Headless Woman alludes to Surrealist artist Max Ernst’s La Femme 100 tetes (1929) and creates a conversation between historical and contemporary issues. The Curiouser, inspired by Alice in Wonderland, explores themes of reality versus perception. All three themes develop a network of narratives that spark dialogue and challenge concepts of female identity.
Independent curator Saul Ostrow comments that Johnson “through her creation of ‘alternative pictorial histories’…continues to push the limits of her modes of presentation, thus reaffirming art's role as a medium for exploring complex social issues and as a potential catalyst for cultural change.”[1]
For further information please contact Chris Neptune: chris@neptunefineart.com or 202. 986. 1200.
[1] Excerpts from New York-based art critic and curator Saul Ostrow’s catalog essay, “From the Domestic to the Glamorized” for the exhibition of Symmetrical Bodies at the Boyden Gallery, St. Mary’s College of Maryland (2025).
All works, unless otherwise noted, are:
Acrylic and wax mediums with image transfer on paper mounted on wood panel
Image size: 7 x 5 inches
Framed size: 8 x 6 inches
Signed, titled, and dated on verso
