Johanna Calle Colombian, b. 1965

Johanna Calle’s drawings intersect imagery and poetry, applying both principles to produce a profound inquiry into the human condition. “The possibility of constructing a drawing with other materials captivates me. I found an ideal medium for experimentation in them,” says Johanna Calle. Born in Bogotá, Colombia, Calle gracefully investigates lines that favor black-and-white palettes. Her exploration of drawing and her innovative techniques are at the heart of her formal practice. Her method of line-making is a physical approach: one that includes wire, stitching, and text, along with the more traditional use of ink and pencil. In the series Arañas/spiders, Calle creates unique works by hand-drawing the different spiders that form the 20 editions of the serigraph suite. Calle employs excerpts from the article “Urgent Cities," written by anthropologist Maria Margarita Ruiz-Roges, as implied lines to create an intricate network of text dealing with the rapid growth of developing countries. This is done as a form of visual poetry, whereas only select words are legible so the viewer can question and contemplate the quiet interplays of line and word.