Biography
Clay Johnson was born in Durham, North Carolina, where he studied art and art history at Duke University, receiving a B.A. degree in 1985. He then worked for several years as assistant to the painter Robert Natkin in Connecticut and New York City. He began showing paintings from his first series of mature work in 1998, and has since exhibited in galleries across the United States and in Europe. His work is represented in collections around the world.
Clay began work on his Strata Series shortly after relocating to Wyoming, and, while non-objective in nature, the paintings convey a sense of the wide open landscape of the American west.
Clay currently lives and works in Laramie, Wyoming
Solo & Two-Person Exhibitions
2025
- Vergence, Bond Millen Gallery, Richmond VA
2024
- Form and Texture, William Havu Gallery, Denver
2023
- The Atomic Paintings, Mark Moore Fine Art, Los Angeles
2021
- Beneath the Surface, William Havu Gallery, Denver
- Over the Line, Page Bond Gallery, Richmond VA
2020
- Wide Open Spaces, 425 Market Street, San Francisco
- The Wide Open Landscape, 555 California Street, San Francisco
- Clay Johnson: New Paintings, Kim Eagles-Smith Gallery, Mill Valley CA
2019
- New Paintings, William Havu Gallery, Denver
- Latitude: New Paintings by Clay Johnson, George Billis Gallery LA, Los Angeles
2018
- New Paintings by Clay Johnson, George Billis Gallery, New York
2017
- The Connected Edge, William Havu Gallery, Denver
2016
- Wide Open: New Paintings by Clay Johnson, Elins Eagles-Smith Gallery, San Francisco
2003
- Clay Johnson: New Paintings, District Fine Arts, Washington DC
2002
- Clay Johnson: New Paintings, District Fine Arts, Washington DC
Group Exhibitions
2025
- Summer Group Exhibition, Susan Street Fine Art, San Diego
- Drawing to a Close, Carol Corey Fine Art, Kent CT
- Hazy Shade of Winter, Carol Corey Fine Art, Kent CT
2024
- Stop & Breathe, Carol Corey Fine Art, Kent CT
- Every Little Thing, Bond Millen Gallery, Richmond VA
- By The Sea, Carol Corey Fine Art, Kent CT
- The Modern Landscape, Kim Eagles-Smith Fine Art, Mill Valley CA
2023
- Good Will, Page Bond Gallery, Richmond VA
- Spring Selections, Madelyn Jordon Fine Art, Scarsdale NY
- From All Angles, William Havu Gallery, Denver
2022
- Kim Eagles-Smith Gallery at Art Market SF, San Francisco
- Good Will: A Group Exhibition, Page Bond Gallery, Richmond VA
2021
- Architecture Shape & Color, Page Bond Gallery, Richmond VA
- Poets: A Group Exhibition, Page Bond Gallery, Richmond VA
2020
- Glean: Select Gallery Artists, Page Bond Gallery, Richmond VA
- Abstraction: Old Friends, New Faces, Kim Eagles-Smith Gallery, Mill Valley CA
2019
- Glean: Select Gallery Artists, Page Bond Gallery, Richmond VA
- Luxembourg Art Prize Finalists Exhibition, La Pinacothèque, Luxembourg City
- The Modern Landscape: From Narrative to Conceptual, Kim Eagles-Smith Gallery, Mill Valley CA
2018
- George Billis Gallery at SOFA, Chicago
- Selected Abstracts, George Billis Gallery LA, Los Angeles
- Summer Group Show, George Billis Gallery, New York
- Elins Eagles-Smith Gallery at Art Market SF, San Francisco
- George Billis Gallery at Art Palm Springs, Palm Springs
2017
- New Acquisitions, University of Wyoming Art Museum, Laramie
- Elins Eagles-Smith Gallery at Art Market SF, San Francisco
- Elins Eagles-Smith Gallery at Art on Paper, New York
2016
- Elins Eagles-Smith Gallery at ArtMarket Hamptons, Bridgehampton, NY
- Elins Eagles-Smith Gallery at ArtMarket SF, San Francisco
2015
- Elins Eagles-Smith Gallery at Art Silicon Valley, San Mateo
2004
- Art of the Twentieth Century, Park Avenue Armory, New York
2002
- Gallery Artists, Samson Fine Arts, New York
- Poetic Minimalism, District Fine Arts, Washington DC
- 14th Annual Works on Paper Exhibition, Park Avenue Armory, New York
2001
- Gallery Artists, Samson Fine Arts, New York
- 13th Annual Works on Paper Exhibition, Park Avenue Armory, New York
2000
- 12th Annual Works on Paper Exhibition, Park Avenue Armory, New York
1999
- Small Works, District Fine Arts, Washington DC
- Talent 1999, New Artists / New Works, Samson Fine Arts, New York
- 11th Annual Works on Paper Exhibition, Park Avenue Armory, New York
Notable Collections
- University of Wyoming Art Museum, Laramie WY
- The Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation, Los Angeles
- Musée de la Pinacothèque, Luxembourg
- The Kimpton Corporation, San Francisco
I encourage you to visit the galleries that represent me. While I do my best to present my work here in a way that is accurate and informative, there is no substitute for viewing art in person.
Viewing the Works
The page for each individual work includes a photograph of the particular painting or drawing. Clicking that image will open the photo in a lightbox, which will fill the entire browser window. Click the image again to zoom in. Higher resolution photos are available and can be provided upon request.
If you would like to be able to better visualize a painting in your particular space, you can email me a good photo of the room and I will Photoshop the painting into your image.
Registering on the Site
I encourage you to subscribe to the site if you haven’t already done so. Benefits of subscribing include access to pricing information and the opportunity to purchase works directly on the site. The Collector’s Room (coming soon) will provide additional behind-the-scenes content especially for subscribers, including a selection of brand new paintings not available elsewhere. If you’re not yet a subscriber, you can register here or via the ACCOUNT link in the site’s navigation.
Purchasing Work
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Shipping
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Returns
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