Contact James Henry Johnston
Thank you, your message has been sent. You will be contacted by email when the artist responds. You can also keep track of your messages in your personal inbox.

James Henry Johnston is considering offers on this artwork. Please submit your offer below and they'll get back to you shortly. Note, offers are always made in the artist's chosen currency
Thank you, your offer has been sent. You will be contacted by email when the artist responds. You can also keep track of your offers in your account.
Artist's description:
The title of this oil painting was inspired not only by the image itself but also by a line of dialogue from a television series I am watching at the moment called The Handmaids Tale, about a totalitarian theocracy that has overthrown the United States government and starts the near complete subjugation of women.
In episode 3 a wicked bully, pretending to be a God fearing person, says these words before inflicting more brutality of our main character.
The words are from the New Testament, Matthew 18:9, although to my ear have an Old Testament ring to them,
"And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell."
This painting is inspired by the fear of the increasing blurring of lines between democracy and theocracy where the rights of women and other groups are becoming increasingly threatened by the self defeating nature of religious fundamentalism.
This is the ninth painting a series of paintings I have embarked on, called "Sinister Selfies"; a project of paintings which distorts the idea of selfies. Instead of being snapshots of rampant narcissism in various sunny or celebratory locations, they instead invite and allow the viewer into a world which implies darker human realities such as addiction, co-dependency, trauma, terror, abuse, disgust, self loathing, disintegration of self and dissociation.
All areas of human experience close to my heart, so to speak.
Instead of snapshots of mindless self idolatry these sinister selfies give us a peak into other's lives and their discordant emotions and psychology and also into our shared communally lives generally and more presciently.
They reveal the aspects of self and humanity we would rather hide away, the sometimes unpalatable, even disturbing reality behind the facade we maintain in public.
Essentially I use a icon of our time, the Smartphone selfie, to turn a our gaze onto so-called darker elements of the human condition, mainly using heightened vibrant colour, distorted imagery and odd sized canvas.
Materials used:
oil painting on linen canvas
If Your Eye Causes You To Stumble (2017)
Oil painting by James Henry Johnston
Now $139.45 $174.31
Sale ends in 3 days, 18 hours
Free shipping- Oil painting on Canvas
- One of a kind artwork
- Size: 9.45 x 11.81 x 0.79 in (unframed)
- Signed on the front
- Style: Urban and Pop
- Subject: People and portraits
- Artwork description
Artist's description:
The title of this oil painting was inspired not only by the image itself but also by a line of dialogue from a television series I am watching at the moment called The Handmaids Tale, about a totalitarian theocracy that has overthrown the United States government and starts the near complete subjugation of women.
In episode 3 a wicked bully, pretending to be a God fearing person, says these words before inflicting more brutality of our main character.
The words are from the New Testament, Matthew 18:9, although to my ear have an Old Testament ring to them,
"And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell."
This painting is inspired by the fear of the increasing blurring of lines between democracy and theocracy where the rights of women and other groups are becoming increasingly threatened by the self defeating nature of religious fundamentalism.
This is the ninth painting a series of paintings I have embarked on, called "Sinister Selfies"; a project of paintings which distorts the idea of selfies. Instead of being snapshots of rampant narcissism in various sunny or celebratory locations, they instead invite and allow the viewer into a world which implies darker human realities such as addiction, co-dependency, trauma, terror, abuse, disgust, self loathing, disintegration of self and dissociation.
All areas of human experience close to my heart, so to speak.
Instead of snapshots of mindless self idolatry these sinister selfies give us a peak into other's lives and their discordant emotions and psychology and also into our shared communally lives generally and more presciently.
They reveal the aspects of self and humanity we would rather hide away, the sometimes unpalatable, even disturbing reality behind the facade we maintain in public.
Essentially I use a icon of our time, the Smartphone selfie, to turn a our gaze onto so-called darker elements of the human condition, mainly using heightened vibrant colour, distorted imagery and odd sized canvas.Materials used:
oil painting on linen canvas
- Ready to Hang
- Shipping
United StatesFree
This artwork is sold and shipped to you by James Henry Johnston, and will be packaged in a cardboard box. Artworks are dispatched within 5 working days from United Kingdom.
Other shipping destinations
United KingdomFreeGlobalFree - Returns and refundsWe want you to love your art! If you are not completely satisfied with your purchase you can return it free within 14 days, no questions asked. Learn more
- Artist Reviews
(6)5.0
Overall Rating
Based on 6 reviews5 stars64 stars03 stars02 stars01 stars0 - Make an offer on this artwork
This artwork is sold by James Henry from United Kingdom
Want more art? Register now.
10,000 artists. 100+ countries. Over 400,000 artworks. All at your fingertips. Register now for exclusive offers and a whole lot of art.
or
Buying art, made simple
Art you’ll love from over 10,000 artists around the world. Let us help you find the perfect piece today.
or
Already a member? Login here
Already used by over 850,000 art lovers.
By joining Artfinder you confirm that you have read and accept our T&Cs and Privacy Policy
Would you like 10% off?
Buy art now. Pay later.
Make interest free payments over 6, 10 or 12 months.
Pay a 10% deposit now, receive your artwork, then spread the remaining cost over your chosen time frame.
Quick and easy
Apply and get a decision instantly.
No hidden fees
No hidden costs or surprises!
Subject to credit check and approval. 10% deposit payment required. 0% APR representative. Only applicable on orders over £300. Please read full terms here.