A Portrait for Ray Johnson

This film by video artist Steven Strauss is a contemplative piece about the late, great artist Ray Johnson, who was famous for creating performance works and “correspondence art,” which consisted of mailed collages and drawings. As reflected in the video, Johnson killed himself by jumping off the Sag Harbor Bridge on January 13, 1995. He was last seen “backstroking out to sea” in that frigid water, and his body was found washed up on the beach the next day. Johnson left hundreds of collages neatly arranged to be found in his home after his death, which many consider his last piece of performance art. He was 67 years old.