The stick figure is the foundation of human visual storytelling and is perhaps the most recognizable and sacred form of art. It adorns the oldest walls of primitive man, is inscribed across the world as testament to the existence of ancient civilization, and is one of the first discernible icons to appear in the scribbles of children across countries and cultures. The stick figure is embedded in our primordial drawing DNA.

It is the first thing I can ever remember drawing by myself. It is also the first collaborative work I ever remember doing with elementary school friends, passing around drawings taking turns depicting scenes of man, nature, and creature.

Stick figure has been with me through the light, the darkness, the ups, the downs, has been my muse through different seasons of life, and is my tried and trusted companion to get the creativity flowing. You will find stick figure in the margins of notes of every class or meeting I have ever had to sit through, in every sketchbook, on my boots, on my clothes, and incorporated into much of my artwork in some fashion no matter what the medium may be.

Over a lifetime of drawing them, a style developed and emerged which I refer to as my signature stick figure array. To the untrained eye it appears to be nothing more than a sea of stick figures, which it is, but on further inspection you may realize there is a method to the madness. None of the figures quite touch each other and they are all similarly scaled. While homogenous in appearance, each one is unique and hand drawn or painted with its own nuanced strokes. I typically include a single figure portrayed in red or with lines around the head indicating light and thought (or both).

People often inquire about how I count them, the count occurs after I’m finished. I have tried to count as I go but it disrupts my flow state of creation. I simply begin with one and allow intuition to guide me through the work and around obstacles until it is complete and I finish by enclosing my signature.

While there may be many underlying reasons why they are portrayed this way, some of which I am still deciphering myself, I invite you to collect these original works and contemplate what they may represent or reflect back to you.

Johnny Bahr III