At Liste, Theta will present a concise compendium of David L. Johnson’s work made over the last thirteen years, interwoven by the artist's interest in that which delineates and defends public and private space in New York. Johnson’s approach to city-as-subject is as observational and benign–reflected in his photographic and video work quietly documenting the movements of citizens and law enforcement–as it is fugitive–reflected in his sculptural ‘Loiter’ series of stolen standpipe spikes intended to prohibit the use of sidewalk water connections as temporary rest spots by property owners.

David L. Johnson (b. 1993, New York, NY) lives and works in New York City. Recent solo and dual exhibitions include: The Shop at Sadie Coles HQ, curated by Ben Broome, London (2024); Galerie Thomas Schulte, Berlin; Galerie Noah Klink, Berlin; Art Lot, Brooklyn (both 2023); and Theta, New York (2021). Group exhibitions include: Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus, OH; Salzburger Kunstverein, Salzburg, AT (both 2024); Palais de Tokyo, Paris; Chicago Architecture Biennial, Chicago; MoMA PS1, New York (all 2023); and Artists Space, New York (2022). Johnson received a BFA from the Cooper Union in 2015 and an MFA from the University of Pennsylvania in 2020. He is an alumnus of the Whitney Independent Study Program and is a part-time lecturer at Cooper Union and Parsons. His work is held in the public collection of The Studio Museum in Harlem.