Biography

Johnny Thornton is an artist that lives and works in Brooklyn, NY. He wrote this about himself in the 3rd person.

Born in Connecticut, Thornton spent his childhood in Johannesburg, South Africa before moving to Tucson, Arizona. After teaching himself to paint he went on to study Fine Arts at the University of Arizona. Thornton relocated to New York City where he received his Master of Fine Arts from Parsons the New School for Design in 2012.

Thornton has had work exhibited widely, and he has had several recent solo shows in New York City. His work is part of several collections. Currently, Thornton works out of his Gowanus studio and is the Owner/Head Curator of Established Gallery in Brooklyn. Thornton is also the Executive Director of Arts Gowanus, a non-profit organization working to support, promote, and advocate for local artists and a sustainable arts community in Brooklyn.

Education

MFA, 2012, Parsons, the New School for Design, New York, NY, Visual Art
BFA, 2009, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ

Curatorial Projects

Head Curator at Established Gallery (2019-Present)
Executive Director/Head Curator of Arts  Gowanus (2019-Present)

Solo / Two Person Exhibitions

2022- Into the Void (installation), St Marks Lobby, Brooklyn, NY
2022- The Long Goodbye, Established Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2020- Sophisticated Mess, Established Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2019- A Passing Resemblance, Established Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2018- Real/UnReal (2 person show with LJ Lindhurst), King Killer, Brooklyn, NY
2018- Transmute (2 person show with Michael Watson), Gowanus Dredgers, Brooklyn, NY
2018- Corporeality, Spaceworks Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2017- sleepers, BAU Gallery, Beacon, NY
2016- cells, Chashama Gallery on 37th St, New York, NY
2016- Self-Portraits of Other People, Galerie Wohnung, Brooklyn, NY
2013- Vanishing Anatomies (2 person show with AM DeBrincat), Chashama, New York, NY
2010- The Machines are Winning, TAC Gallery, Tucson, AZ
2009- nameless, Lionel Rombach Gallery, Tucson, AZ

Selected Group Exhibitions

2022- Arts Gowanus ArtWalk on Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn NY
2022- Brooklyn Utopias Public Art Exhibition by Arts Gowanus, Brooklyn NY
2021- Gowanus Night Heron, Public Art Exhibition by Gowanus Night Heron, Brooklyn NY
2021- We’re Still Here…, Public Art Exhibition by Arts Gowanus, Brooklyn NY
2020- Fresh Paint, Art of Our Century Gallery, New York, NY
2019- RE-BEGINNING, Thinkspace, Los Angeles, California
2019- Portraits Gather Nearby, Gagné Contemporary
2019- ArtWorks- A Benefit for Arts Gowanus, Shapeshifter Lab, Brooklyn, NY
2019- Sickness+Health, ABC No Rio in Exile/Bullet Space, New York, NY
2019- Is It My Body, Gagné Contemporary
2018- Kairos50 Gala, World Trade Center Observation Deck, New York, NY
2018- Between You and Oblivion, Spaceworks Gallery, Brooklyn, NY, USA
2018- From the Canal to the Crevices, Open Source Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2018- Between You and Oblivion, Spaceworks, Brooklyn, NY
2018- RE:RE:patterns, La Bodega Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2017- Et Tu, Art Brute?, Andrew Edin Gallery, New York, NY
2017- Identity in Flux, Spaceworks Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2017- With the Neighbors, Ground Floor Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2017- RE:patterns, La Bodega Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2017- We Deliver, La Bodega Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2017- Art for Aleppo, Catalyst Gallery, Beacon, NY
2017- Per Aspera ad Astra Pop Up Show. New York, NY
2017- RECOLLECTION, SPRING/BREAK Art Show, New York, NY
2017- Drums on Paper III, Ground Floor Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2016- Dysfunction of Sameness, Gallery 116th, Fayetteville, NC
2016- Drums On Paper II, Rabbit Hole Studios, Brooklyn, NY
2012- (RE)Purpose, The Kitchen, New York, NY,
2011- Look Alike, Parsons Fine Arts, New York, NY
2011- hūmāna, 25 E Gallery, New York, NY
2010- One More Before I Go, TAC Gallery, Tucson, AZ
2010- Rebirth, TAC Gallery, Tucson, AZ
2010- Collectivity, Solar Culture Gallery, Tucson, AZ
2010- Photographs and Free Candy, TAC Gallery, Tucson, AZ
2009- 16, TAC Gallery, Tucson, AZ
2009- Diptychs/ Triptychs, TAC Gallery, Tucson, AZ
2009- Untitled, Lulubell Toys and Gallery, Tucson, AZ
2009- Room 10, La Siesta Hotel, Tucson, AZ
2009- Dimensional Shift, Solar Culture Gallery, Tucson, AZ


Press/Publication