Ynez Johnston: Ancient and Modern Tales and Myths

Ynez Johnston’s art often evokes the mystical and the imaginary through a dense array of vibrant forms and colors.

This exhibition displays work by Johnston from Palm Springs Art Museum’s collection, including a portfolio of ten embossed etchings titled Journey to the Way to Kapilavastu and additional works-on-paper.

Johnston’s portfolio names the significant pilgrimage site of Kapilavastu, an ancient city where Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha) was raised. Though the artwork’s poetic text and elaborate images are detailed and descriptive, they can also be difficult to decipher, remaining in the realm of the fantastical. As viewers, we are placed along for the ride in Johnston’s visionary worlds. Johnston described her practice by saying, “I follow an urge to synthesize and combine into images, architectural, animal, human, plant and geographical structures… The drama is party colored by overtones of ancient and modern tales and myths.”

Johnston was born in Berkeley in 1920 and received her BFA and MFA from UC Berkeley in the 1940s. She later lived for decades in Los Angeles with her husband, the writer John Berry, who collaborated with Johnston to write the poetry in the portfolio on display. Johnston’s extensive travels including in Mexico, Italy, and India influenced the sense of adventure in her artworks.

Exhibition curated by Christine Vendredi, Joann McGrath Executive Director and Chief Curator