David Johnson

Sanctuary Café (2022) – Readymade bench table, Jesmonite, resin, plastic, floor paint; life-size.

This large interactive public sculpture consists of a life-sized 3D print of a woman sitting at a café table eating and drinking. Members of the public are invited to sit alongside the figure and to interact with both the sculpted figure and each other. This complex work involved the blind artist having collaborative assistance at every stage of its production. The production process of this piece involved developing very high levels of trust, understanding and attunement between all those involved.

Attunement is integral to this sculpture in both its production and its consumption. In its current location, the city centre shopping mall in the middle of Lewisham, South-East London, members of the public habitually sit, eat and drink with the sculpture.  This piece consciously avoids the sense of reverence between artworks and beholders by the conspicuous absence of a plinth.

 

Artist statement

I am a UK based, blind artist. I am unashamedly a blind artist rather than an artist who is blind. In my art practice I use a wide range of sculptural materials and processes. My pieces range from the monumental to the hand-held and often involve familiar, everyday objects. My art mission is not to overcome the barriers that blindness undoubtedly puts in the way but rather to show that experiences of beauty and knowledge are core elements in a blind person’s life.