Art and Survival: Patricia Johanson's Environmental Projects

Salt Spring Island, BC: Islands Institute, 2006. Softbound. VG. Color illustrated wraps. 165 pp., profusely illustrated with maps, diagrams and illustrations in color, some bw. Art and Survival details the evolution of Patricia Johanson's work from her minimalist paintings through her innovative, bio-intensive structures of the last two decades. Kelley's clear, compelling text covers practical concerns and aesthetic considerations, while demonstrating that Johanson never stops challenging art's nature, capacity, audience and role. The book covers all of Johanson's major public projects and looks at some of their implications for art, architecture, landscape design and urban planning. In addition, it features Johanson's early, prophetic designs and large-scale Minimalist paintings and sculptures from the 1960s. Stories of Johanson's personal history and her creative development, together with drawings, reflections and ideas to inspire younger artists, make this book a lively and informative creative resource.