Gayle Johnson’s (1953–1995, American) paintings operate in the language of the commonplace. Relying on everyday objects such as those found in a domestic kitchen, period romance paperbacks, and images culled from 1950s B-movies, Johnson captured the mundane and the overlooked with a meticulous exactness. Geometric in its compositional arrangement, Yellow Tile (1979) suggests a kinship with the de Stijl painter Piet Mondrian, in its relationship to the grid. Johnson utilizes a similar primary-color palette, only softer, more muted, and with a visual precision toward the play of light and shadow.
–Affinities and Outliers: Highlights from the University at Albany Fine Art Collections

–American Playlist: Selections From The University At Albany Art Collections