Roadside, Shark River, New Jersey 1877

David Johnson made "Roadside, Shark River, New Jersey" with oil paint, that most enduring of artistic mediums. It is easy to overlook the sheer labor involved in producing an image like this. There is the preparation of the canvas, the grinding and mixing of pigments with oil, and then the slow, deliberate build-up of brushstrokes to create the illusion of a landscape. The very smoothness of the paint belies the work that has gone into it, and that smoothness is critical. It allows Johnson to capture the atmospheric effects of light and shadow, the subtle gradations of color in the sky, and the reflective surface of the water. Consider how those traditional methods can also reinforce social hierarchies. The artist as a skilled craftsman, rendering the world for a middle-class audience with the leisure to enjoy it. The painting then becomes a commodity, an object of aesthetic contemplation, and of course consumption. Yet, by acknowledging the labor that has gone into the image we can challenge the easy separation of art from craft, and appreciate the skill and dedication required to create it.