Brad Johnson received his BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO and his MFA from Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA. A maker of table ware, Johnson is a former Resident Artist of The Clay Studio having been here from 1998 - 2003.
Shortly after leaving The Studio's Resident Artist Program, Johnson set up his own studio. He also had his first child. He writes, "I am a studio potter living and working just outside of Philadelphia where I have been a stay-at-home potter since my first son was born in 2005. The decision to raise my children in exchange for my studio time has not been an easy one to make and anyone that has children or is close to someone that is a parent, knows the sacrifices and rewards that this decision demands. In my own personal experience the rewards have exceeded my expectations. "
"I built my studio and kiln on my property to make those small pockets of work time more effective. The property itself was designed and maintained as an English garden by the previous owners. As a result, my commute to the studio is quick and inspiring and I'm able to pick up some models along the way. Once there, the view outside of my studio windows can best be described as a well wooded suburban landscape with lots of trees, rocks , swing sets, chain link and split rail fences. I use these images as if they were my own personal still life."
"My fascination with functional pottery has kept my attention for over twenty years and in that time I have pushed myself into new areas of the ceramic process. My current body of work is composed of salt fired porcelain and stoneware using slips, glazes and a lot of salt to achieve the surfaces I crave. The carvings on the pots are my interpretations of my life and surroundings. Some of the pots tell a story while others are more abstract like a dream or a memory. I often break up the form with squares and rectangles that accentuate the form but can also be viewed as windows - very much like those in my studio."
