On the Surface

The photos of Obstacle/On The Surface lack any centre of focal point and the actual objects represented – for example, Parking Blocks, Rolled Up Fences, Metal Bars, Stones – are so sterile that of themselves they are utterly devoid of humanity or intrinsic interest. Yet Johnston triumphs by recognizing composition in most unlikely places; his framing of these lifeless obstacles radiates a tangible energy and constitutes a celebration of line, colour, pattern and structure.