Ray Johnson

Ray Johnson

Ray Johnson was an American artist who was a pioneer in the development of collage and mail art. He was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1927 and studied at the Black Mountain College in North Carolina. Johnson was known for his innovative use of text and image in his work, which he referred to as post-neo Dada. He was a key figure in the New York art scene in the 1950s and 1960s, and his work had a significant influence on the Pop art movement. Johnson's most significant contribution to the art world was his founding of the New York Correspondence School in 1953. This was a network of artists who communicated through the mail, sending each other letters and collages. Johnson's mail art was often playful and humorous, incorporating puns and wordplay. He was also known for his use of found objects and ephemera in his work, which he would incorporate into his collages. Throughout his career, Johnson was interested in the intersection of art and everyday life. He often used materials from popular culture, such as newspapers and magazines, in his work. He was also interested in the idea of art as a social practice, and his mail art was a way of connecting with other artists and creating a sense of community. Johnson's work has been exhibited in major museums around the world, including the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Centre Pompidou in Paris. His legacy continues to influence contemporary artists working in a variety of media.

Ray Johnson, collage, mail art, New York Correspondence School, post-neo Dada

— Jeffrey Johnson