Nestled along the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon, Zach Johnsen is quietly making a name for himself in the art world through his distinctive illustrations. Give him a micron pen and he’ll show you a world you thought only existed in your wildest dreams, or perhaps only in your nightmares. His style of frenetic pen lines and splashy water-based media evokes a serious critique on Suburbia and the overpowering consumerism in America today. But don’t let politics get you down, Johnsen’s art is inspiring and colorful, and has even used commercially many times – from a collaboration with the New York Times, to skateboards & snowboards, to work for NY/CA-based apparel company Tank Theory which he co-founded. His most recent collection, “Dancing Nun” is currently showing at the MOHS Gallery in Copenhagen. We caught up with Zach in his studio in Portland, a little hungover but still very much inspired.
LH: For those who aren’t familiar with you and your work, give them the low-down… who is Zach Johnsen?
ZJ: Zach Johnsen is a 31 year old artist, designer, illustrator and all around visual conductor living in Portland, Oregon. I do fine artwork for gallery settings. I do commercial illustration. I work in wood and fabric and photo and I also work in print and apparel. I dabble in all types of media and have much to learn.
LH: How did you get your start as an artist… when did you realize you had what it takes to make it professionally?
ZJ: I probably got my first artistic push from my mom who is also a fine artist and graphic designer. At 18, I decided to attend the Massachusetts College of Art in Boston and that’s when I started to really take seriously art making and art as a profession.
LH: How long did it take to create your signature look?
ZJ: My style of watercolor and pen and ink developed organically while going to school, taking assignments, playing with media and sorting out how I wanted to express what I was trying to say.
LH: Explain your process… how you go from a spark of an idea in your head, to the ultimate outcome?
ZJ: Usually it’s a particular character or scene I want to bring to life. That’s the spark… getting this one idea out in some form or another. After the idea sets in, I usually find various references to help bring some level of believability into the equation. Then I sit down and throw color around to help define the composition and energy… then I add the line work and start developing the main bits. But nowadays my process is changing, as my ideas change and shift, so does the way I work. Now, I’m doing more work in graphite with watercolor as opposed to the definite mark of a pen… I’m even creating a series of new “paintings”, so I develop my work in ever-evolving ways…
LH: What typically influences you everyday and makes you pick up a pen and start drawing?
ZJ: I kind of have a very critical eye about life in general… most of the time I feel like I’m being fed a pile of dogshit; through commercials, billboards, and endless endless sales pitches and slogans. So I express my angst and criticism towards popular commercial culture through these characters and scenes and illustrations. I’m not necessarily inspired by one or 2 or 3 artists in particular but moreso by reality tv, infomercials, tabloids… It’s like I’m “fighting back” against this gigantic wave of cheap manufactured goods… something like that.
LH: Most of your work revolves around your drawings… with the advent of digital technology, photoshop and other digital tools, do you think hand-drawing is becoming a dying art form?
ZJ: Oh good god no! In fact, I think it’s pushing a revival of drawing and traditional art forms… Everybody is a designer and can create a cheap graphic using any number of free software, like glitter graphics! I think it’s pushing more and more people to create better and better work, almost as a revolt against the cheapness the computer has brought.
LH: What are your views on the explosion of so-called “Street Art” on the mainstream?
ZJ: Um.. I don’t know. At first I was hating on that shit because it (say like wheatpasting) was to me the soft way of going bombing or writing graffiti, which is hard and dangerous. And I guess street art is an evolution of that. But I can’t really hate because people are doing amazing things out there with all types of medium in public spaces and I think it’s amazing. The real shitty thing about how big it has gotten is the marketeers and salespeople that come in, see that it’s popular, co-opt that energy, steal the look, and put it up in the streets on billboards that you will then get arrested for trying to paint or mark on.
LH: It seems that “art collecting” in general is becoming more and more popular with the younger crowd (damn those hipsters). Would you agree? How would you explain this; blogs/internet allowing more exposure for artists? The whole Shepard Fairey/Obama mass-media hype? Or just great artists creating great art?
ZJ: God bless em.. they make my life possible! Art and design is so big right now, it’s turning artists into rockstars… like same status! It’s nuts, art is huge and art is everywhere so collecting seems like a natural thing to do if you have the means… money or connections or whatever. Shit… I’d personally love to collect more work than I have now!
LH: Many of your illustrations/art are very complex and busy… how do you know where to start? How do you know when you’re finished!?
ZJ: Good question… that’s the hardest thing for me to figure out myself. I never actually know when a piece is finished! And to be honest, I don’t think many of my pieces are.
LH: Tell me more about Tank Theory, your T-shirt/apparel label… How / why did you decide to start that up?
ZJ: Basically, I was trying to find an outlet for my artwork after getting out of school… aka, I was broke and needed to figure out some kind of commercial avenue for my work to travel through. Luckily, I found a likeminded individual in Boston; Andrew Silverman, and we got to work getting a line together.
LH: What’s the relationship between fashion and art? Or what should it be…
ZJ: Well, from my standpoint, any printed fabric requires an artist… and that’s me. Otherwise, to me fashion is function… and I’m not necessarily trying to wear a piece of artwork on the day-to-day.
LH: Let’s chat about your Acid in Ice Cream series… I know I’ve had days at the office, after meetings or whatever, where I’ve felt pretty much exactly like the characters you’ve depicted… Have you ever worked an office job; cubicle, fake plant, annoying HR lady and all?
ZJ: Indeed, when I moved to New York, I got a job freelancing for the Nautica… the clothing company. Nautica is like one of 8 smaller subsidiaries from this huge global fashion brand, VF… maybe you’ve heard of it? Haha. But yeah, cubicles, office birthdays, the whole nine.
LH: I find it interesting that the individuals in the series are pretty much all in black & white, grey and dull… whereas their heads are exploding vivid colors. To me, you’re trying to say something about our “live to work” mentality that’s so prevalent in North American society versus taking more of a “work to live” attitude towards everyday life… you know not being completely miserable from 9-to-5, suppressing our true desires to be artists, musicians, writers – or whatever else our career-councilors told us there was no future in. But maybe that’s just me…
ZJ: No yeah, that’s pretty much it. But more specifically, something amazing (or violent or even just different) happening during that routine office birthday or office lunch. It points the finger at routine in general – which to me, is a double edged sword: comfy as hell, but stifling at the same time and can act as a blinder to everything else around you.
LH: Actually, looking at the pieces again, I immediately think of the 1998 film Pleasantville. Don’t you hate Tobey Maguire? But I digress, I guess you can say there all some parallels between the themes in the film and your series.
ZJ: Haha, yeah he’s such a crappy actor… AND he has this stupid look on his face all the time?? I mean.. come on!
LH: If there was one word or emotion you’d want people to say or feel when seeing your art, what would it be?
ZJ: Well I like to tell a story in every work, and it changes. But overall, to open up your eyes, ears, senses and whole persons to the energy around you. I like when people take some time to look at the work, at the symbols and choices I’ve presented..
LH: What’s next for Zach Johnsen? Where do you see your art going?
ZJ: I’m really excited to get into more bonafied “paintings” and installation work. I really want to build things, step away from just doing work on flat surfaces. Plus, shhh, but I might even get involved in video, film and animation through a public access show here in Portland… really looking forward to that!
LH: Ok, we’ll keep that a secret… If you’ve got anything to plug or having any parting words, the floor is yours!
ZJ: Thanks very much for the opportunity! Keep posted at www.zenvironments.com for more good stuff to come!
osa500 says: 
