David L. Johnson
b. 1993 New York, NY
Lives and works in New York, NY
Recent News
The 100 Best Artworks of the 21st Century in ArtNews
David L. Johnson’s Loiter series listed
On the Occasion of Absence
Feature by Jessica Kwok in Flash Art, print
David L. Johnson makes work attuned to the streets of the city, pinpointing moments of slippage between public and private property. His practice utilizes photography, video, found and stolen objects, and installation to consider the politics, histories, aesthetics and forms of use that define contemporary urban space.
David L. Johnson (b. 1993, New York, NY) lives and works in New York City. Recent solo and dual exhibitions include: The Shop at Sadie Coles HQ, London (2024); Galerie Thomas Schulte, Berlin; Galerie Noah Klink, Berlin; Art Lot, Brooklyn (2023); and Theta, New York (2021). Recent group exhibitions have been held at: Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus, OH; Salzburger Kunstverein, Salzburg, AT (both 2024); Palais de Tokyo, Paris; Chicago Architecture Biennial, Chicago; MoMA PS1, New York (all 2023); and Artists Space, New York (2022). Johnson received a BFA from the Cooper Union in 2015 and an MFA from the University of Pennsylvania in 2020. He is an alumnus of the Whitney Independent Study Program and is a part-time lecturer at Cooper Union and Parsons MFA. Johnson’s work is held in the public collection of The Studio Museum in Harlem.
Gallery Exhibitions and Fairs
Press
ArtNews Watlington, Emily. “The 100 Best Artworks of the 21st Century” March 2025
The Brooklyn Rail Woodbright, Andrew Paul. “Artseen: Barrier”. January, 2025
Financial Times Foster, Kristina. “Frieze Focus places emerging artists centre stage”. October 2024
Artforum, Monroe, Lisette May. “David L. Johnson at Galerie Noah Klink”, October 2023
Hyperallergic, Bury, Louis. “David L Johnson’s Critique of NYC Community Gardens”, September 3, 2023
The New York Times, Steinhauer, Jillian. “What to see in NYC Galleries this August: David L. Johnson at Art Lot”, August 24, 2023
Art in America, Watlington, Emily. “How David L. Johnson Intervenes in the Ongoing Privatization of Public Space”, May 1, 2023
BOMB Magazine, Bury, Louis. “Studio Visit: David L. Johnson”, January 11, 2023
Frieze, Smith-Holmes, Maxwell. “Life Between Buildings’ Celebrates the Art in New York’s Open Spaces”, July 8, 2022
Artforum, Kastner, Jeffrey. “David L. Johnson at Theta”, January 1, 2022
Art-agenda, Ayres, Hallie. “Looking back and leaping forth”, December 22, 2021
Observer, Holmes, Helen. “From Lubov to Theta, Gallery Shows You Must See This Fall”, November 2021
The New York Times, Heinrich, Will. “TriBeCa Gallery Guide: New York’s Most Vibrant Art Scene”, October 28, 2021
Wants and Needs Exhibition Catalogue, Interview with Exhibition Curator Jodi Throckmorton, 2021
Camera Austria International, “Artist Contribution: What’s at Stake / What’s Missing?”, 2021