Arts & Culture

Johnson Simon: ‘My Art is Student to my Paintbrush’

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"My work represents the communication between people who have physical and mental restrictions and everyone else," says Johnson Simon, here on a break from setting up his thesis exhibition. Courtesy Liz Kaye, IU Communications.
"My cerebral palsy plays a big role in my art. It is one of the things that makes my art stick out," says Simon. "I’m not fully in control of my hands; sometimes I will jump and create an interesting mark which gives my work a signature. You can almost see a part of my movement and the energy it took to create the work."
"Drinking Spasm" is inspired by Simon's recollection of how something as simple as taking a sip of water can be a struggle for some people. The color red illustrates the frustration that can accompany the simplest acts. "Growing up with cerebral palsy taught me nothing comes easy," Simon notes. Courtesy Liz Kaye, IU Communications.
"In 'Reflex' I am trying to showcase the fact that I can’t fully control my movement—but it’s not just about me. Someone might have a broken arm in a cast for a couple of weeks and are trying to gain back use of that muscle and send signals from their brain to their hand," explains Simon. "The colors I chose represent mood swings. I used blue so it could be kind of moody and kind of depressing, while the red stands for frustration. The painting conveys sadness and frustration at the same time."
"'Communication' is about a vivid memory of going back to my younger days when it was very hard to understand exactly what I was trying to say," Simon explains. "My hand is trying to grasp my throat, and I'm trying to understand why I am speaking so differently. The colors are conveying the dream-like state of the memory. So I’m trying to go back to my childhood to see how far I have come and how God has helped me overcome."
Johnson Simon, MFA'18, works with an oil stick on one of his paintings. "My work gave me hope,” he says. “It gave me a reason to live, a purpose. It allowed me to discover my potential and the reason why I was put on this Earth." Courtesy Liz Kaye, IU Communications.

Johnson Simon, MFA’18, may have been born with cerebral palsy, yet he wasn’t about to let this stop him from bringing his vision to life.

The Herron School of Art and Design graduate grew up in West Palm Beach, Fla., and began drawing when he was seven years old. A middle-school art class propelled him to pursue higher education in the arts and then on to Western Michigan University, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts in 2015.

Simon credits IUPUI and the Herron School for helping him flourish not only as an artist, but also as a person living with—and overcoming—a disability.

“For the past two years, my studio has been my second home. If I wasn’t home, I was at my studio. Sometimes I wouldn’t leave until two in the morning.”

Simon’s commitment to his craft should serve him well as he transitions into the work force. He hopes to become a motivational speaker and an arts educator.

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To see more of Simon’s work, visit his website.

Simon’s story appeared in the Stories section of the Fall 2018 issue of the Indiana University Alumni Magazine, a magazine for members of the IU Alumni Association. View current and past issues of the IUAM.

 

 

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