Flea Street in Menlo Park, California, is currently hosting an exhibition featuring the works of Mitchell Johnson. Titled “Paintings from North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Morocco (Selected Work 1979-2025)”, this showcase includes new pieces inspired by Johnson’s recent travels to Brazil and Peru, as well as never-before-seen paintings from Morocco. The exhibition also highlights some of Johnson’s early works to provide a comprehensive view of his artistic journey.
Johnson’s unique exploration of color perception and art history has garnered attention from renowned art critics such as Donald Kuspit, Alexander Nemerov, and Susan Emerling. Abraham Storer, in a review for the Provincetown Independent, emphasized the significance of color perception in Johnson’s painting process and his annual master color class at Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill.
Describing Johnson’s approach to color, Storer recounted a workshop where Johnson demonstrated the transformative power of color juxtapositions, showing how a simple change in background can dramatically alter the perception of a color. Johnson’s technical precision and keen eye for color relationships set him apart as a post-modernist artist whose abstract works often carry implicit representational elements.
In his analysis for Whitehot Magazine, Donald Kuspit likened Johnson to a post-modernist counterpart of Cezanne, creating abstract works with subtle representational undertones. Alexander Nemerov, in an essay comparing Johnson to artists like Pierre Bonnard and Edouard Vuillard, praised the painter for evoking a sense of familiarity without resorting to mere imitation or artistic struggle.
Susan Emerling, in a review for ArtNews, commended Johnson’s vibrant oil paintings of European beach scenes for their dynamic brushwork and vivid palette, noting his ability to infuse everyday life with an Impressionist sensibility.
With paintings in the permanent collections of over 35 museums and featured in popular films like “The Holiday” and “It’s Complicated”, Johnson’s art has achieved widespread recognition. In March 2026, Johnson is set to exhibit his work for the third time at Galerie Mercier in Paris, further solidifying his place in the contemporary art scene.
For more information on Mitchell Johnson and to explore his portfolio, visit his website at mitchelljohnson.com and follow him on Instagram @mitchell_johnson_artist. Don’t miss the opportunity to experience the captivating world of color and perception through Johnson’s masterful artworks.
