#89 • Johnny Johnson "In the Land of Giants" & "Sudden Encounter" Photographs

Part of The Johnny Johnson Estate Auction (timed auction by Alaska Premier Auctions & Appraisals)

Starting at $5.00

Status: Available

Bidding closes Nov 3, 2026 6:29 PM AKST

Category: Art

Two signed and numbered photographs by Alaska wildlife photographer Johnny Johnson (1947–2025). "In the Land of Giants", c.1991, is numbered 12/1800. The artist's description reads: “Few sights are more memorable than a face-to-face encounter with a monster grizzly. Standing over eight feet tall, my 600mm lens only magnified the bear's power and my own sense of vulnerability and awe. Weighing in excess of a thousand pounds, these huge males keep to themselves and are rarely seen. Since I was downwind, the bear couldn't catch my scent and stood, nostrils flaring. I spoke to him in a calm tone. "Hey, big bear. Hey, big bear...... Hey, big bear". I kept talking as he dropped to all fours and slowly ambled away.” "Sudden Encounter", c.2007, is numbered 13/950. The artist's description reads: "Grizzly bear female with two yearling cubs stand to look for other bears in McNeil River State Game Sanctuary-Alaska. Along the glacier-fed McNeil River on the western shore of Cook Inlet's Kamishak Bay, grizzly bears congregate in unusual numbers to feed on salmon. Feeding can be dangerous for the females with cubs as male grizzlies have been known to attack and kill young cubs. On this June day a mother grizzly was attempting to traverse the deep sedge grasses along Mikmik Creek where a lot of other bears were fishing. Anxious to locate the other bears, she often stood to get a better view. Once to my great pleasure, the cubs imitated their mother and stood beside her." Artwork description leaflets are included. Both are signed, dated, and numbered in the lower left corners in gold leaf ink and printed on Fuji Crystal Archive Supergloss paper. Also included are Johnny Johnson's 1992 and 2011 Alaska Wildlife Calendars. The photographs are matted and framed under glass. The larger photograph measures approximately 33" x 28.5" overall.