Ryan Johnson’s Watchman (2008).Courtesy of the artist and Guild & Greyshkul, New York
Artist Ryan Johnson Is Losing the War on Crime
Ryan Johnson’s broken watchmen, cobbled together from cloth and metal and brand-sparkling-new sporting gear, seem to offer a rather sinister interpretation of Salvador DalÃ’s melting, slithering clocks: If time is fluid, it can sometimes run slow, which is hazardous when it comes to heroism. Can you imagine waiting for campus security to arrive and hours later one of these geezers hobbles up? Johnson’s sculptural narrative of failed security plays out in three airy rooms at Guild & Greyshkul, New York, through June 14. —Emma Pearse