The human figure is my vehicle of observation and communication. My medium is bronze. The subject matter of my sculpture has evolved and grown into several bodies of work. I enjoy the natural world on an intimate level through my athletic activities, but these snapshots or moments of elation cast in bronze only address how I escape that which concerns me most. Recently I have shifted my attention to our global/local community; our ambitions, camaraderie, collaborations and strife, our human condition. As my themes have become more abstract and introspective, my figures have grown to be more gestural than academic. Whether sculpting a memory from the forest, or considering the progression of humanity, I sculpt and build each piece through the entire bronze casting process. They each have their story to tell.
Jason Johnston earned his BA in both Art and Political Science at Hillsdale College and Oxford University, and his BFA/MFA in sculpture at the University of Oregon. He learned the art of lost wax bronze casting with nearly twenty years of foundry experience, allowing him to personally create each of his sculptures from conceptualization to patina.
Jason instructed his first art class in the fourth grade, but more recently has taught at the Interlochen Center for the Arts, The Leelanau School, and The University of Oregon. After four years of teaching Jason returned to Mt. Hood, Oregon with a new body of work that covers a wide range of his interests.
“The Mixed Mythologies pieces will pull together legends and creatures from around the world to be combined in a way that I feel reveals our similarities. The Human Ambition series continues this focus on common threads in humanity by exploring our relationships, challenges and earthy aspirations. Between these two worlds are my athletic sculptures, highlighting moments of elation through epic human activity, where physical effort and spirituality meet.”

Portfolio: