Born in 1992 in Seattle, Washington, Brandon Elijah Johnson lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.

As we step into Johnson's world, somewhere between imagination and reality, we become a part of his visual diary. A collector of images, from photographs found on the internet to snapshots taken with his phone, Johnson reinterprets familiar ordinary scenes in his paintings and drawings, perhaps in an attempt to freeze a moment in time. He takes reference images from his direct environment and intentionally - or not - offers a representative picture of today’s world. His vivid compositions draw from pop culture, embrace pastiche, and remain attached to the here and now. As part of a generation willingly returning to figurative painting, Johnson moves away from pure representation, at times infusing a touch of playfulness, and distancing himself from painterly conventions. Between fiction and documentary reality, Johnson’s works reveal a part of our collective memory.

Brandon Elijah Johnson

Oil on canvas 
2021
A collector of images, from photographs found on the internet to snapshots taken with his phone, Brandon Elijah Johnson typically reinterprets a familiar or an ordinary scene, perhaps in an attempt to freeze a moment in time.

Description

Location

With a certificate of authenticity signed by the Artist.

Authentication

Crystal Vision_Full

Crystal Vision_Close1

Crystal Vision_In Situ

Painting

Crystal Vision

Oil on canvas 
2021
A collector of images, from photographs found on the internet to snapshots taken with his phone, Brandon Elijah Johnson typically reinterprets a familiar an ordinary scene, perhaps in an attempt to freeze a moment in time.

Front

detail

detail1

wall

private eye

Oil on canvas 
2021
A collector of images, from photographs found on the internet to snapshots taken with his phone, Brandon Elijah Johnson typically reinterprets a familiar an ordinary scene, perhaps in an attempt to freeze a moment in time.

Mise en place

Bright Red Candles

Oil on Canvas 
2020
The imagery was taken from a still frame in the video game ‘The Last of Us’, in which the character, Ellie, must navigate a post-apocalyptic world on a quest for revenge. Inspired by the protagonist, this painting is supercharged with emotion and is emblematic of her journey. It is also reminiscent of the canonized trope in art history of the lone reflective mountain climber looking out into the abyss.

Authentication 

Detail

perspective

indoor (1)

And Then I Feel Nothing

Oil on Canvas 
2020
Napping, smoking, and reading in the summer sun. We could all use a little self-care and this painting is for those of us who love the life of leisure when we have a moment to live it.

detail (3)

detail2 (1)

indoor5

Daydream

Oil on Canvas 
2020
A portrait of a young man smoking a cigarette at his mother’s grave after losing a fight. An ode to Max Fisher, one of the greatest cinematic underdogs of modern film.

Location 

wall (2)

Hard Knocks

Oil on Canvas 
2019
A portrait of American actor Keanu Reeves in a particularly dramatic scene from the John Wick series, Johnson depicts a tender moment as John, the main protagonist and retired secret assassin, meets the puppy his late wife had gifted him, knowing she would soon succumb to cancer. Later, the dog’s death at the hands of unscrupulous gangsters sparks the narrative arc that leads John on a violent revenge-seeking frenzy.

indoor (6)

Love and War

Oil on Canvas 
2020
Inspired by amateur ghost hunters around the globe, and that feeling you get when things are not exactly how you remember them. Paranormal activity? Or did I misplace my glasses again? I am pretty sure this is not how I left them.

indoor

Not How I Left It

Oil on Canvas 
2020
An homage to one of the artist’s favorite painters, Lois Dodd, this work is titled Painting for Lois Dodd or alternatively titled, The Summer Ends. When making paintings, Johnson often works backward and in this instance, inspired by Lois Dodd’s techniques and her mastery, he renders the image wet on wet, alla prima. The image of the house, taken from the titular album cover of Illinois-based rock band, American Football, equally refers to the natural connection between the extraordinarily melancholic album and the mood set in some of Lois Dodd’s more somber romantic night paintings. Johnson reflects on how a composition may be specific to one setting while taken out of context, thus holding a sense of déjà vu or of universal familiarity.

detail (4)

indoor13

Painting for Lois Dodd / The Summer Ends

Convelio

Shipping & Handling

Oil on Canvas 
2020
Johnson has long admired Spiral Jetty, perhaps the best known of Robert Smithson’s earthworks from the ‘70s. Part of what he finds fascinating about this work is its constant state of flux. In fact, it was completely submerged for a great deal of time and unavailable to the viewing public. Painting it seemed a practical solution on a personal level to the artist as it does the job of trapping it neatly in time.

Paradox

Brandon Elijah Johnson

Also by Brandon Elijah Johnson

Crystal Vision

private eye

Mise en place

Bright Red Candles

And Then I Feel Nothing

Daydream

Hard Knocks

Love and War

Not How I Left It

Painting for Lois Dodd / The Summer Ends

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Brandon Elijah Johnson

Also by Brandon Elijah Johnson

Crystal Vision

private eye

Mise en place

Bright Red Candles

And Then I Feel Nothing

Daydream

Hard Knocks

Love and War

Not How I Left It

Painting for Lois Dodd / The Summer Ends

Paradox