“Façade” by Steve Johnson 2024

In Steve’s own words: 

 “The facade is made from 9mm plywood, and the curtains and flag from carved jelutong hardwood. It is installed on two screws on the reverse. It is painted with oil enamel.  

This work is based on a real view from my studio building in Deptford. 15 levels up, on the block of flats opposite, is a resident who for years has used the English national flag instead of a conventional set of curtains or blinds. I have never seen the flag ‘opened’ and over the years, the white of the flag has turned grey. I suspect this is the result of polluted air and stasis. The resident must have an exceptional view of London looking North and of the River Thames from that window…if the flag wasn’t covering it. And the resident does not allow direct sunlight into that room. The flag on that 15th floor is used to cut out the view and cut out the light.”
 

Steve grew up in Newcastle Upon Tyne and is a sculptor of ‘wall objects’ that are pictorial and representational, and which explore the idea of architecture as metaphor. He also paints watercolours and makes prints of that subject. He has curated exhibitions and published articles on visual art, and has worked in his South London studio for over 40 years.