Sonoma Valley Museum of Art unveils 2 new shows

A wunderkind’s work is on display at the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art, paintings, sculptures and prints from an honest-to-goodness art prodigy.

Ynez Johnston entered the University of California Berkeley at the age of 16, and had her first solo exhibit at San Francisco’s Museum of Modern Art at just 22. She was a prolific producer for more than eight decades, blending modernism with ancient art forms to make something brand new. She died at age 98 in 2019.

Her creative life was marked by a fluid aesthetic that explored personal topographies and her own exhaustive travels. Often characterized by the cognoscenti as “luminous,” Johnston’s abstractions are somehow narrative, too, featuring imagined landscapes and creatures in intricate expression. Using muted palettes and compositional restraint, Johnston plays with intentionally ambiguous architectural, human, animal and plant shapes. “Sacred Landscapes: The Art of Ynez Johnston” is a retrospective celebration of an American treasure, and an intimate expression of an intricate imagination.

“It is important for me personally to highlight the work of significant women artists, many of whom have not received the recognition they deserve,” Sonoma Valley Museum of Art Executive Director Linda Keaton told the Index-Tribune. “I was drawn to Ynez Johnston's work because of her impressive background, willingness to experiment, and her unique artistic language.”

Juxtaposed with work representing nearly a century of personal reflection is a second exhibit that is firmly of the moment. “Question Bridge” is a video installation comprised of Black men posing sensitive questions for themselves — and the viewer — to ponder. Originated by artist Chris Johnson, the installation is meant to enable difficult conversations across geographic, economic, generational, educational and social strata.

For four years, Johnson traveled the country with a cohort of helpers collecting questions and answers from more than 150 Black men, opening a window into a complex dialogue. On the heels of the national reckoning triggered by the death of George Floyd, “Question Bridge: Black Males” dares to call out the nuanced pervasiveness of systemic racism. “What does it mean to be a Black male?” one man wonders. “Do you blame your mother if your father wasn’t in your life?” asks another. “Do you feel weird eating watermelon in front of White people?” a third inquires. “How does a man know when he’s grown?” a young boy asks piercingly, his demeanor simultaneously uncertain and brave. With exceptional honesty and raw vulnerability, “Question Bridge: Black Males” creates a powerful experience for viewers and subjects, and opens a portal on the possibility of healing for a culture in the midst of a painfully fractional divide.

“We want to put a spotlight on the Black male voice at this pivotal point in our history,” said Keaton.

Contact Kate Williams at kate.williams@sonomanews.com.