Artist uses found objects to create mixed media assemblages

When you look at the art in “Wunder Kammer,” much of it looks back at you.

Many of the mixed media assemblages by Kim Johnson feature the repeating motif of painted eyes peering out of holes in the found wooden objects. Other works eschew anything easily identifiable but revel in the interplay of found objects creating a unified piece.

The show is set to be on display from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays at the Winchester Cultural Center gallery, 3130 McLeod Drive through July 17.

The idiom of the objects and techniques make it obvious that it is at once individual works and a unified body of works, but beyond that, the deeper meaning is up to the viewer.

The show’s title refers to the Wunderkammer, a wonder chamber or cabinet of curiosities that was the precursor to modern museums. Objects of scientific interest, artwork and other curiosities were displayed for the edification and amusement of the owner and his guests.

“It’s proving to be a very popular show,” said Patrick Gaffey, cultural program supervisor for the Clark County Parks and Recreation Department. “The opening was well attended, and the people that come in spend quite a bit of time looking at the works and really trying to see them and how they speak to them.”

Johnson’s curiosities are constructed of found objects and painted works attached, interwoven or otherwise added. She discovered the objects while hiking, running or strolling around her neighborhood, the wilderness surrounding the valley or downtown.

“I would just spot something that would draw my eye,” Johnson said. “There’s all these beautiful little pieces of humanity left behind.”

Some of the inspiration for the works come from Johnson’s fascination with the environment and her interest in and study of ecology.

“I have a great interest in man and the environment and how we respond to it physically and emotionally,” Johnson said. “I’m hoping these pieces represent a bridge between being in an environment and interacting with it.”

The objects might have been in her studio for years or have been brought there the day before, but eventually, she starts to make connections between objects and work out how one would complement or intensify the effect of another.

“I wanted to play with textures and shapes and forms that are a little ambiguous but would hopefully be responded to on an emotional level,” Johnson said. “I’m looking for an emotional and visceral response. I want it to be a little reactive.”

For more information, call the Winchester Cultural Center at 702-455-7340.

To reach East Valley View reporter F. Andrew Taylor, email ataylor@viewnews.com or call 702-380-4532.