Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/742011
160 • S P O R T I N G C L A S S I C S mantra is simplicity and beauty. He is able to convey that, big time." To understand what makes Johnson's creations so astounding, a little context is needed. The great artist Bob Kuhn, whose paintings of game species routinely bring six figures at auction, was a constant doodler. He carried a notepad in his shirtsleeve pocket whenever he was fly fishing, and if he happened to encounter a moose sharing the stream, Kuhn would whip out a pencil and lay down gestural lines that, back in the studio, he'd utilize as the undergirding of his brushwork. It's how he translated the power of memory into masterpieces, which hang today in museums. Bob Kuhn told me how drawing was the undercarriage of great painting, as evidenced in the works of ancient Chinese artists who interpreted their subjects with Zen simplicity and artists of the Italian Renaissance whose color was mere window dressing that accentuated powerful visuals that were actually conceived in black and white. Over the years many superb draftsmen, especially sporting artists descended from the Golden Age of Illustration, have had their visions grace the pages of Sporting Classics. Exceptional draftsmanship in the age of photography is exceedingly rare; more uncommon—and sublime—are those who possess an almost alchemic magic with the black-and-white medium. To some observers, graphite is regarded as a lower tier of fine art than painting and sculpture. Johnson's images, however, serve as a marvelous counterpoint to that narrow view. "The work Cole is doing has caused me to radically rethink how I used to view his art," Fulton says. "Drawings at this scale are not easy to do, and they've really made me come to appreciate his exceptional talent, which rivals our best painters. He is the best animal draftsman I've ever seen." n Note: Columnist Todd Wilkinson is a lifelong sportsman and well-known American environmental writer. He is author of the critically acclaimed and award-winning book Grizzlies of Pilgrim Creek, An Intimate Portrait of 399, the Most Famous Bear of Greater Yellowstone (only available at mangelsen.com/ grizzlies) featuring 150 astounding bear images by Thomas D. Mangelsen. dark timber is the stunning result of months of effort at Johnson's studio in the Catskill mountains. "The contrast of black and white appeals to me," he says. "I enjoy the challenge of making a drawing come to life based solely on tonal value.