MEET DANIEL JOHNSON

Written By Tanya Windman

Daniel and I met at a friend’s show in Silverlake, Los Angeles pre-covid. Weeks later we found ourselves on a trip to the desert where we collaborated on one of his shoots. The thing I noticed straight off the bat with Daniel was his process and his commitment to it. In no way have I ever seen him cut corners or sacrifice his art. I also noticed that his entire process while shooting was filled with play, movement, and working with our environment in unexpected ways using props found in impromptu places. A couple years later, we found ourselves moving to Mexico City at the same time. And it’s been a sweet treat to get to understand Daniel’s process, perspective and way of being over the course of time, new experiences and different countries. I’m excited to introduce you to a true artist whose deep curiosity for life and its journey is unlike anyone I have met. Never have I seen someone learn a language fluently in such a short timeframe. Which really speaks to his deep commitment to whatever he sets his mind to. Meet Daniel..

WHAT IS YOUR INDUSTRY?

Photography

WHAT IS YOUR OCCUPATION?

Artist, Photographer, and Director

WHAT IS YOUR STRENGTH?

Connection with unexpected moments and helping people feel seen in new ways.

ONE THING MOST DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU?

That I’m an extreme introvert who somehow learned how to be social and enjoy being so. Even though my photography is almost 100% about shooting people, I still sometimes feel very shy and definitely still need my alone time to recharge after.

WHAT SRATED YOU ON THE JOURNEY TO BECOMING A PHOTOGRAPHER? HOW HAS YOUR WORK EVOLVED?

I began my creative trajectory in graphic design when i was 15 with a book on web design that my mom purchased for me and a pirated copy of photoshop that i paid a friend 25 bucks for. Photoshop has a bunch of tools based off of real materials or actions in the darkroom but I wouldn't experience those until taking a few photography courses as part of my degree in graphic design. I spent 8 years thereafter working in NYC but with the mindset that photography was a hobby or something that simply supported my graphic design work. It wasn’t until i spent 5 months living in Senegal to learn French that i realized i felt way more alive with a camera out in the world with people than i did in my long solitary hours in front of a computer designing or animating. A year or so later, thanks to the book The Artist’s Way, i finally saw myself as an artist for the first (rather than a designer hired to execute and realize other people’s visions) and knew that photography was my pathway forward to explore that. My transition from design into photography propelled me away from pixel by pixel perfectionism into dance and movement, something I can guide but not control. More recently this path of exploring movement has led me to exploring self-portraiture

WHAT SHAPES YOUR VIEW ON PHOTOGRAPHY AND ART? HAVE THERE BEEN ANY MAJOR INFLUENCES ON YOUR WORK?

I left design for photography because I wanted to start asking questions with my creativity rather than give answers. And also I felt like I was continually drawn towards certain moments of light that other people seemed to ignore, and wanted to somehow share what i saw with others. I’d say James Turrell was one of my biggest influences as he creates these immersive experiences that force us to experience how our bodies and brains react to light. Another influence was Ryan McGinley’s photography and how he captured these moments of youthful liberty with his naked bodies running through nature - his work revealed a desire in me to experience that same level of freedom in my own life, and to create images that express that as well.

IS THERE A PROJECT THAT HAS BEEN MOST MEANINGFUL FOR YOU? MAYBE YOU FEEL MOST CONNECTED TO OR PROUD OF?

In 2015 I took my then 85 year old grandmother on a cross-country roadtrip. I didn’t go into the trip with the expectation of creating a photo series from it, I was simply just documenting to share with my family. But when I started posting the photos online people absolutely fell in love with her and her vivaciousness as expressed in my images, so I decided to create a coffee table book dedicated to her and the playful explorativeness of our relationship.

WHAT IS YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS LIKE? ARE THERE CERTAIN HABITS THAT WORK WELL FOR HARNESSING YOUR CREATIVITY AND MAINTAINING ENTHUSIASM?

My process is kinda no-process. I don’t think i have any particular patterns to how i work per se, but i do have a pretty consistent morning routine that is mainly to help me feel centered and connected - Writing morning pages, meditating, exercising, dancing, etc.

WHAT DO YOU SEE AS A MAJOR CHALLENGE THAT ARTISTS FACE RIGHT NOW? WHERE DO YOU SEE OPPORTUNITY FOR ARTISTS IN OUR MODERN WORLD?

I can really only speak for myself on this on a micro level, but I think one of the biggest challenges definitely has to be distraction. Both from nonstop media consumption and the need to either take on other work to pay the bills (which takes away from the creative energy you have left over to create your own art) or keeping yourself in the narrow lane of art that you perceive to be more commercially profitable. As for opportunity? As this world seems to be shifting more authoritarian, I think it’s going to be more and more challenging to make meaningful art, but all the more necessary and important.


Tanya Windman
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