JOHNSON TRADING GALLERY
by Susanna Salk for 1stdibs
“I like getting in at the beginning of someone’s career” says Johnson Trading Gallery owner, Paul Johnson, who is as much a founder as a nurturer when it comes to showcasing collectible furniture from emerging designers, architects and artists. “I’m attracted to those who push the boundaries when it comes to traditional furniture design, construction and production.” For six years, Johnson had been showcasing only established masters like Paul Evans and Phillip Powell in his Noho gallery, Phurniture.
But with the growing influence and popularity of forums like Design Miami, (held in conjunction with the international success of the art fair Basel), it was becoming clearer that art and design were equally collectible. “I wanted to create an outlet for designers who don’t want to work for a big company or mass produce,” explains Johnson. “The main point now is to find designers that will be the future Wendel Castles or Nakashimas.”
After growing up in Toronto where his father owned an office furniture company of filing cabinets and desks, Johnson moved to New York thinking he’d get a Masters at Pratt but, as he puts it, “I quickly decided to study the flea market instead.” Phurniture was then born in a 10x10 booth in midtown and soon morphed to an open loft space on Bond Street where Johnson worked by day and lived in the back by night.

In 2007, Johnson debuted a new location, name and focus to his passion with the Johnson Trading Gallery: “ it’s a way to edit and it forces me to only try to develop and find the best pieces possible.”
With part-owner Oliver Miller devoted to finding great historical pieces, Johnson can now focus completely on contemporary work.

The 2,000 square foot space featured an Asian rock fountain and many separate rooms for a couple who had lived there for many years. Johnson hired architects Benjamin Aranda and Chris Lasch to transform it into a neutral space via a historical restoration that brought back its original wood floors. Along the way, Johnson commissioned the Aranda and Lasch to create their already-iconic Fauteuil cast-aluminum chair, which explores computer-generated patterns used to develop organizational templates.  Says Johnson: “We thought the concept of tweaking a traditional chair to modern times is exactly what the Johnson Trading Gallery is all about.”

He also gave architect Stephen Holl the green light to create a line of limited edition furniture with the mandate to: “make something you’ve always dreamed you could.” Freedom of expression is as valuable as currency here and the only perquisite from Johnson is that “they show me the pictures first.”

When he’s not preparing for Basel or curating shows for the gallery, (upcoming exhibits will feature Max Lamb in October and a group show of young designers this winter), Johnson is scours the globe to “anywhere I haven’t been before,” which exposes him to the architecture he craves and potential pieces to add to his ever-growing art collection. This year’s itinerary will feature Japan, Russia and maybe South Africa. Along the way there are plans to find the perfect location for a second gallery.

 Says Johnson about the future:“ My goal is for people to buy these pieces not only because they are a valuable object but because they are functional.”