Part 1
Born in Sydney to English mother Jane Johnson who was a war bride and Australian father Peter Johnson, an architect. Tim is the middle of their 3 sons.
1956 –60 Attended Joy Ewart Art School .
Attended Shore High School . Wrote poems.
1963-64 Painted continuingly influence Modernism, Abstract Expressionism etc.
Attended University of NSW . Studied Arts.
1967-68(?) Exhibited work at the Round House, University of NSW . Work consisted of shaped and 3D canvases.
Woollahra Art Prize. Judge John Olsen.
1969 Work shown at Blaxland Gallery Sydney, (group show). Work included aluminium walk through sculpture and monochrome canvases.
Work included in Group show at Gallery A. Tim contacted Max Hutchinson who came to the studio and agreed to show work.
1970 Began writing art reviews for Tharunka, University paper (including Janet Dawson, Jone Firth-Smith).
Married to Vivien Johnson.
Brought house in Newtown . Held first solo show at Gallery A Sydney. Work included 3D, monochrome, shaped canvases using light. Also multiples.
Helped form Inhibodress with Mike Parr, Peter Kennedy at Woolloomooloo. First Artists Run Co-Op Gallery in Australia .
Visited Europe. In London, collected Conceptual Work be artists such as: Jeff Wall and Ian Breakwelll.
While travelling made conceptual work. Stopped painting.
Did teacher training course. Exhibited at Inhibodress. Curated Activities, an exhibition of installations with international artists.
Vice President C.A.S.
Shared C.A.S. prize with Imants Tillers. Published Spare Parts, an artists book. Went on to publish 8 books documenting performance and conceptual work.
Showed at Nova Scotia School of Art & Design , Canada. First Overseas show.
1972 Made Artist Film: Public Fitting S8. Went on to make other films.
Began teaching art at Kogarah High School - taught until 1974.
Became youngest member of Australia Council set up by Witlam Government.
1973 Started painting again. Using ideas from Conceptual Art, narrative, documentation, photographs, appropriation etc.
Did Performances in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. In Brisbane recieved undue media attention.
Showed works on paper at Gallery A (began painting Buddhas)
Began painting full time. Started using slide projector and photos.
Began part time casual teaching in Sydney's Western Suburbs - Green Valley and Casula.
Went to India, Thailand, Nepal. Painted during travels.
Stayed in Melbourne for 2 weeks wrote Alienation Poems and developed new ideas for paintings based on Mandala and use of signs, visual language etc.
Exhibited Erskine St. Gallery in Sydney . Lloyd Rees came to show. Travel paintings.
1977 Heard Radio Birdman, documents Punk and New Wave bands. Forms own band. Painted this. Film of bands later shown in the Third Biennale of Sydney in 1979.