Duane Johnson graduated with the degree of M.F.A. from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge in 1998. He is currently the Gallery Director at the University of Texas, Tyler, TX, and Adjunct Instructor at Northeast Texas Community College, Mt. Pleasant, TX.

“Peek around the corner, all’s clear. Make a dash for the schoolhouse. I turn around as the bullies surround me. Pushing, shoving, calling me names…confused. Punches flying, bleeding, did I connect? Arms hurting, curled in a fetal position. ‘Leave me alone,’ I gasp. Did I pass out? No, teacher stopped them.”

Johnson has drawn on his own experience in powerful Bully Series presented here. “I am exploring the connection between bully/victim/onlooker. Every person has been in each position at some point in their life and t he Bully Series explores all variables of this relationship.” Johnson is primarily a printmaker and painter. He has developed a cartoon drawing style which occasionally conceals the often serious tones of the content upon first glance. But his use of a large, divided canvas, juxtaposing images of various sizes, assaults the viewer with emotionally-charged input.