Steven Johanknecht has always drawn inspiration from abstraction, from the De Stijl movement to the work of Anni and Josef Albers. “It’s been my natural instinct to depict the world in abstract forms,” he says, “and my approach is to start from pure abstraction rather than abstract reality.” For the inaugural show at Blunk Space, a gallery devoted to preserving the legacy of late American sculptor J.B. Blunk, the Commune co-founder presents a series of small abstract paintings alongside the blankets and rugs produced in collaboration with Christopher Farr they inspired. The show also features a collection of more than 30 bowls and platters by American woodturner and longtime Commune collaborator Nile Wertz and a series of ceramic cobalt-glazed Blunk Cups inspired by the sculptor’s flatbed pickup truck. 

Photography by Molly Haas.