Levitating Woman, depicts what appears to be a hovering nude female figure, draped in a material that falls to the base in soft folds. The artist transforms a heavy and resistant material, so that it appears soft, weightless and sensual. The artwork plays on many associations within the history of art. Johnson spent time in Italy in 2002, where he was inspired by themes and motifs from Renaissance painters and sculptors. This influence is particularly noticeable in Levitating Woman, with its theatrical and sensual elements. The work also recalls illusionists who appear to make people levitate. As we gaze upon the soft forms of Levitating Woman, we realize that the female figure is an illusion. There is no body underneath the drapery. The sculpture is hollow, and it is only the impression of a female body we are seeing.  

In his art practice, Johnson experiments with a wide variety of form and materials in an unorthodox and surprising manner. He is known for combining normal everyday objects in unusual ways and playful variations. He is also an excellent manipulator; Johnson can make woodwork look like cardboard or plastic, like the sculpture Untitled (Amazon) from 2016, which looked like a crushed cardboard box but is carved from wood and painted. He can make cast bronze sculptures look like paper or cloth. This gives his artworks both a humorous and a subtle aspect, triggering our need to understand and explore what surrounds us.