FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

David O. Johnson
Identity Crisis

January 17th – February 14th, 2008

OPENING RECEPTION: Saturday, January 17th, 6-9pm

llittle tree gallery
3412 22nd St @ Guerrero
San Francisco, CA 94110
415.643.4929
www.littletreegallery.com
iinfo@littletreegallery.com

little tree gallery is pleased to present David O. Johnson’s second solo show at the gallery. Identity Crisis is a dense show touching on race, place, and culture, or Identity Crisis is a fun, lighthearted show that will bring a smile to your face.

Two self-portraits introduce us to the show’s title. In the first self-portrait, Johnson manipulates an Oakland Raiders football team’s logo. Gone from the center of the image is the straight looking, football helmeted Oakland icon. In its place is Johnson, head askew, mouth open, wildly grinning with an eye patch. Johnson turned his manipulated Raider logo into a decal and stuck it on the back of a rear car window, mimicking the Raider decal omnipresent throughout the East Bay.

But that is not the only image Johnson feels the need to change. Johnson has altered the 4 colored iconic Shepherd Fairey portrait of Barack Obama with his own image. Johnson, like the soon-to-be President, looks stoic and thoughtful. Instead of the words HOPE at the bottom, Johnson’s image will say OPEN.

Two text neon sculptures round out the show. Their addition brings a heightened range of complexity to an already perplexing arrangement. The first piece, Colorblind, is made of ten different colors of white neon. The entire front of the piece, tubes and all, are painted black. The only light from the sculpture will come from the back and glow off the wall.

The last piece in the show is a pink neon italic sculpture that reads Classy. The word has multiple connotations. It can be interpreted using its traditional definition; it can be ironic, or it can even be trashy. And maybe those three statements can sum up the entire show. Why don’t you stop on by to see for yourself?

David O. Johnson recently moved from San Francisco to Oakland. His work has appeared in the SF Chronicle, Art Papers, and Artweek among others.