Lonnie Sue Johnson: An Artist’s Journey Through Amnesia

A&D alum Lonnie Sue Johnson (BFA ​‘72) was a successful artist and illustrator whose work appeared in The New Yorker and the New York Times. When stricken with viral encephalitis in 2007, she suffered severe amnesia and substantial brain damage, resulting in a loss of memory and artistic productivity. Under the guidance of her mother Margaret Kennard Johnson (also a professional artist), Johnson began to produce a collection of ​“recovery art” — a collection that provides unique insight into the devastating effects of amnesia, as well as the complementary roles played by language and memory in her artistic expression. Johnson’s case gives researchers a rare opportunity to contribute to the scientific understanding of brain function and art, and to apply that understanding to an appreciation of the synergies between art and science.

Now scientists at Johns Hopkins University hope Ms. Johnson can help them answer longstanding questions: What parts of the brain are needed for creativity? With little access to one’s life experience, how does an artist create?

“A Few Strokes of the Past in an Artist Who Lost Her Memory”
New York Times, 20 September 2011

Walters Art Museum is partnering with the Cognitive Science Department of the Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts & Science at The Johns Hopkins University to present Johnson’s story in an exhibition of work exploring the impact of severe brain damage on the life and creativity of an artist. 

Puzzles of the Brain: An Artist’s Journey Through Amnesia
Saturday, September 17, 2011 — Sunday, December 11, 2011

Walters Art Museum
600 N. Charles Street
Baltimore, MD