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Brandon Johnson is a master of staying busy. Using "Ragnar" as his calling card (the majestic moniker could very well be his middle name), he's constantly creating fresh projects in his sprightly, accessible style.
In the past there have been art books, children's books, toy designs and gig posters—not to mention his work as a development artist for cartoon giants like Disney and Nickelodeon.
Using striking color schemes to complement characters built out of confident, crisp lines and exaggerated proportions, Ragnar's stuff has a distinctive pop to it. A new set of pieces by the California-based artist will be on display at Rivet Gallery November 7-30, alongside a series by Charlie Owens.
Metromix got the chance to chat with Johnson about his aesthetic and how he puts his material together.
You've said before that you are more into commercial than fine art because you "find the challenges more interesting." What kind of challenges did you have in mind?
I love having the fine art aspect of my career, but intellectually and creatively, it's very enriching and rewarding to be confronted with a problem and find out the best way to solve that, and [to] be able to apply a unique set of experiences, skills, ideas and approach, whereas with fine art, there tends to be a more singular approach. You're just a painter, you're just a sculptor, you work in collage, or what have you—that tends to be the skill set you use to solve a problem. I like to draw from a wider palette. Something about that challenge inherently appeals to me.
Tell me about that palette. What are some unlikely influences that play into your work?
A lot of things from cinematography and lighting of film have really inspired me, which may not be apparent. [I'm influenced by] every sort of graphic design from traditional board game design to toys and product packaging. Really, everything cartoony. That might be evident in my work, but maybe not.
Do you have any clichés of the style that you have to fight against?
Absolutely, it's a constant battle. On the flip side of the coin, there are some clichés you can utilize and embrace instead of covering your tracks to obfuscate the inherent problems. For me, it tends to be stuff that's graphic [design] in nature in the small areas that I work in, [such as] when I approach the abstract or forms that aren't human, I tend to apply pin-up principles in illustrating them. There are always going to be clichés. You just need to work your way through the minefield and do the best you can.
I've read others characterize you as being a "retro" artist. How valid would say that label is?
["Retro"] is a term to describe something that they've seen sometime in the past. For the most part, pin-ups were at their peak during World War II and post-War up through the early '50s—"Playboy" being the peak of that later. You're talking about something that's from 1940, but our next-door neighbors have high school kids who went to a retro dance the other day which is all '80s. You're talking about three-quarters of a century. "Retro": what does that mean? I personally don't like that term on a general sense because it's too vague. I know what people mean when they say it but at the same time everyone means something different.
Do you consider your work influenced by contemporary culture?
Yeah, I don't think there is any way to avoid it. [My wife and I] have three small children at home, so my idea of contemporary culture today is different from what it was when we didn't have children. A lot of things that you would normally pass by are brought into the house as part of your everyday experiences. You can't help but have that have an impact on you.
You've lived in a number of places—Las Vegas, Japan, Taiwan, and Mexico-before settling down in California. Has this range of places had an effect on your style?
All of them have. We've been settled down [in Costa Mesa] for quite a while. In addition to living in those places, it's the age that you are at while you're there. If I was living in Mexico City or Tokyo today, it would have a different impact on me and come out differently in my work. Las Vegas would [have] the greatest impact because of the time that I was there. It was [during] that weird period between what we think of as classic Las Vegas—Rat Pack and later Elvis—and the Las Vegas we know today, which is a miniature golf course for adults. It was a key time for me.
What sort of material does this Rivet exhibition feature?
I'm always reluctant to say this because it can sound a bit dismissive but for the most part, it's more of the same. It's not going to surprise anybody. There are some significant changes. It's the first time all of the work has been on paper which is a technical change I'm making. I really enjoy working on paper. The application of paint is different from what it has been. This stuff is more informed by washes and there is a more feminine, softer approach to the way I'm applying the paint. The subject is very similar to the thread going back four years. This is probably the fourth or fifth consecutive show where I've been working out this series of ideas that is now beginning to take form.
