Vivien Joan Johnson (born 1949)[1] is an Australian sociologist, writer on Indigenous Australian art, curator, teacher and former editor-in-chief of the Dictionary of Australian Artists Online. She is based in Sydney with frequent travel to Papunya where much of her work is centered. Johnson is considered to be a pioneer in interdisciplinary research as she combines anthropological, sociological, philosophical and art historical perspectives. She has also done extensive work on Indigenous cultural and intellectual property rights.[2]

Achievements

Johnson curated the 2003 - 2005 Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri national touring retrospective and the 2007 - 2008 National Museum of Australia’s Papunya Painting: out of the desert which toured to Sydney and Beijing.[3]

In 2005 she was made Professor of New Media Narrative and Theory at the University of New South Wales.[4] As of 2021 she is Adjunct Art and Design Professor.[5]

In 2020 Johnson was made a National Library of Australia fellow looking at Writing Papunya: The Making of an Illustrated Vernacular Literature 1974-1991

She was a longtime friend of artist Kumantje Jagamara, and spoke at his funeral in March 2021.[5]

Select publications

Johnson is notable for the publication of several key reference works in the field of contemporary Indigenous Australian art, including

She has also published over 100 articles in both art and academic journals.[2]

References

  1. ^ "Johnson, Vivien". trove.nla.gov.au. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Vivien Johnson". Art Collector Magazine. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  3. ^ "Vivien Johnson". The Wheeler Centre. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  4. ^ "New Professors to lead groundbreaking research". University of New South Wales. 6 July 2005. Retrieved 20 November 2010.
  5. ^ a b Gordon, Oliver (11 March 2021). "Pioneering Indigenous artist Kumantje Nelson Jagamara remembered in Alice Springs". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  6. ^ Eccles, Jeremy (11 November 2010). "Once Upon a Time in Papunya (review)". Aboriginal Art News. Retrieved 20 November 2010.
  7. ^ Mendelssohn, Joanna (17 September 2015). "Streets of Papunya delivers an artistic renaissance worth celebrating". The Conversation. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
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