Wings of Design–Textile Patterns Found in the World of Insects

Thursday, March 12, 2015 • 6 – 7 pm • Artist Talk • Free and open to the public.

Renowned plant and insect photographer Bill Johnson will speak about the patterns of all types of insects–from beetles to moths and more. His magnificent, magnified photos of these insects show how their markings are mirrored in the art of the indigenous peoples in parts of the world where these insects are found.

billjohnsonbeyondbutterflies.com

This event is presented in conjunction with Creepy Crawly: An entomological investigation of textile pattern, on view in the Joan Mondale Gallery March 6 – May 22, 2015.

Bill Johnson Bio:

Bill Johnson was born and raised in Excelsior, Minnesota, and currently resides in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is the owner of Bill Johnson Nature Stock Photography, Inc. Bill currently has a file of over 150,000 – 35mm images and over 50,000 digital images, specializing in plant and insect photography, from full-specimen to ultra-close-up macro photography, and horticultural/gardening photography – native/wild and horticultural cultivars – but mushrooms, birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and a number of habitats ranging from deserts to prairies to swamps are also subjects of his photography. His photography travels have taken him to a variety of geographic regions including: Arizona, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Washington D.C., West Virginia, Wisconsin and internationally, Ontario, Canada, Belize, Central America and Guyana, South America.

As a nature stock photographer, Bill’s images have appeared in over 800 national and regional publications. Included among them are such publications as the National Audubon Society Field Guide to Wildflowers – Eastern Region and Western Region books, National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Trees, National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Wildflowers, over three dozen Ortho All About books, a major contributor to the Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America, many Rodale Press (Organic Gardening) books, Taylor’s Best gardening books, and many children’s books. He is also a regular contributor to many national magazines such as The American Gardener, Birds & Blooms Magazine, Grit, Horticulture, Garden Styles, Gardening How-To, Midwest Living, Mother Earth News, Orchids, Organic Gardening, Wildflower (formerly Native Plants Magazine), Organic Lifestyle, Texas Parks and Wildlife, Zoobooks, and Zoogoer, and locally, the Minnesota Conservation Volunteer magazine, Minnesota Weatherguide Engagement Calendars, Minneapolis Star Tribune, and the Minnesota Historical Society Press.

In addition to the book and magazine publications, he has had solo photographic exhibits at the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Center (2002), the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum (2003), the Des Moines Botanical Garden (2009) and in 2004 was a part of a national photography exhibit on plants and their pollinators, at the United States Botanical Garden, on the mall in Washington D.C. Most recently, Bill had an exhibit of his high-magnification insect photography at the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory at the St. Paul Como Park Zoo. Bill is also a charter member of the North American Nature Photographers Association (NANPA) and a member of the Garden Writers Association of America.

Bill was recently added as a contributing columnist with Horticulture Magazine, and will be seen regularly, beginning with the February/March 2011 issue, writing a monthly column, ‘Insect ID’, about insect and their interrelationships with garden plants through pollination and other factors.