Hi there everyone
I just had an art show “Trigger Warning: Thor Johnson” on April 19, 2014, at Ware
Haus, in Dallas Texas, United States of America. The art show consisted of actual physical sculptures made from clay and clay-like materials and fossils, and of big printed 2D images that I made exclusively in ZBrush. It got really good press and reviews in Dallas media. Please check out these links if you are interested, 4rd and 5th links have gallery installation photos:
PRE-SHOW PRESS:
1: “Seven Art Exhibitions to Catch This Spring”:
http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/mixmaster/2014/04/_nur_light_in_art.php
April 19: Thor Johnson’s Trigger Warning - Robberies, stabbings, murder. Welcome to Thor Johnson’s world. One of the most visually talented artists in Dallas has a solo show at WareHaus. Thor said he chose the day of the show because of the historical context of April 19. A few of the events that have occurred on April 19: Waco/Branch Davidian raid by FBI, Oklahoma City Bombing, Start of Revolutionary War and start of Civil War. Johnson wants to tap into these pathos to put on a show that will haunt those that attend, not on cheap thrills, but the existential dread that he hopes to conjure with his work. Mounts at WareHaus, 425 Bedford St, April 19, 8-11 p.m.
2: “17 Awesome Things to Do in Dallas, April 17 - 20”
http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/mixmaster/2014/04/awesome_things_to_do_in_dallas_5.php?page=all
“Trigger Warning
Historically, this has been a pretty bad week. April 19 alone contained: the Waco Branch Davidian raid by the FBI and ATF, the Oklahoma City bombing, the start of the Revolutionary War and the start of the Civil War. These events serve as the inspiration for local artist Thor Johnson’s latest work on view in Trigger Warning. The exhibit opens at WareHaus, 425 Bedford St., with a reception from 7 to 11 p.m. Saturday. I’ve seen a few of the pieces already and they’re pretty harrowing. More information at warewolfhaus.tumblr.com4.”
3: #1 pick of top Texas art shows of the week from Glasstire, the leading website about art in Texas
http://glasstire.createsend4.com/t/ViewEmail/y/58185FF608C40691/4D8C81435BC750948BD4C707EBCCB890
“Gruesome, crazed, sexually violent mutant-borg-pushers are coming for you! Might be a gross as Peter Saul.”
POST SHOW PRESS:
4: “Art and Music Events Blend Seamlessly in Lively West Dallas Weekend”
http://frontrow.dmagazine.com/2014/04/art-and-music-events-blend-seamlessly-in-lively-west-dallas-weekend/
"Johnson’s show is full of blood and guts, fisticuffs, and stand-offs. Yet the bad behavior in the work is a mere history lesson. We’ve been killing ourselves in circles since cavemen and clubs. The artist addresses the violence through a contemporary scope, adjusting for weaponry and technological depictions accordingly.
This is the type of dialogue we speak about only in hushed tones or left to internal thoughts. It’s the death we wish on the next-door neighbor whose dogs bark too loudly, or the guy who just cut you off on the highway. It’s an examination of our fascination with killing of all kinds, our environment and our selves. Scared yet? Good. Johnson is just getting started.
Mutilated clay figures lay on top of everyday objects and literature. Huge glossy prints adorn the walls, depicting images of violence and gang warfare. This could be anywhere - a quiet neighborhood, a football game, a fast food drive-thru line. While the figures appear as nuked-out mutants, the characters in Johnson’s world are (d)evolved versions of ourselves, like the creature popping a cap into another creature’s ass while wearing a Mavericks hat. 3-pointer for the win."
5: Gallery installation photos by Rodney Rogers:
http://rrart2.blogspot.com/2014/04/trigger-warning.html
Hidey ho everybody
I’ve been playing with animating ZBrush layers, plus some post-processing trippy effects