The newest incarnation of Acid in the Ice Cream, an ongoing series of large scale graphite and watercolor work on paper that captures the overwhelmed worker in mid explosion. Cave Gallery, Venice, CA, December 2016
Introducing Zach Johnsen SKETCHBOOK!
SKETCHBOOK is over 200 pages of pure sketch fury.. a comprehensive catalog of the last 15 years worth of sketch ramblings of Zach Johnsen and a mind a'flutter. SKETCHBOOK is a contemporary art book presented as a filled artist' sketch book. It is a standard A4 size hard cover blackbook, smythe bound with 216 printed pages on white paper stock. The look and feel of the book is as if flipping through an actual sketchbook of Zach Johnsen - full of doodles, notes, character development, rough sketches for bigger work as well as more realized, stand-alone drawings. The sketch is the star of this book and features nothing but. You will not find any finished work, no prologue or artist statement or glossary.. This is not a polished coffee table book with gloss pages and spot varnish printing.. It is a sketchbook and is meant to be treated as such. It is meant to get carried around, beat up, stickers put on it, drawings and notes made in it. SKETCHBOOK is meant to be a conversation between the artist, his ideas, and you.
SKETCHBOOK is available for purchase here.
New explorations in painting for the solo exhibition, FOLKLORE, at Hellion Gallery, Portland, Oregon, June 2016.
I have been working with Slingshot Sports for the last 8 years creating various wake and surf board designs and utilizing both my illustration and design skills.
Illustration works for the FOLKLORE exhibition at Hellion, Gallery, Portland, Oregon, June 2016. All work watercolor and pen on paper.
I worked in conjuction with the unique RARE SKYOU online platform to create a series of Zenvironments branded products available on demand. Although this never fully came to fruition, it was fun to go through the production process and test out some amazing new technology in apparel printing.
Art created for the offices of Zealot, Los Angeles. Painting on canvas.. 4x8 ft.
Mural on the Ford Building in Portland, Oregon as part of the Forest for the Trees festival. Collaboration with artist INSA and John Gourley of the band Portugal the Man. INSA painted the backgrounds, I painted the exploding puffer fish, and John painted the cascading comet. This mural spanned over 100 feet and was painted in 12 frames which we photographed individually and compiled as an animated Gif for fun viewing online! Brainchild of INSA and his gif-iti murals!
Combining my love of screen printing and my love of wood cutouts, I present the Puffer Wood series. They are screenprinted puffer fish on cut out wood 3/8" thick. Each and every background was hand painted by me using acrylic and spray paint. Each is a unique colorway and no two are the same. Only 20 of these were produced..
Final size is roughly 14" in diameter. All are signed and numbered on the back.
Original artwork for Resign Wine's flagship wine, Prim Rose...
Various design and illustration for the Portland based technical outerwear company HOMESCHOOL.
Various illustration work for Land Yachtz Skateboards
Solo exhibition of painting work at Hellion Gallery, Portland, Oregon July 2013. Check out a process video of the work coming together.
The House of Uncommons is the governmental system regulating the flow of life and energy within the spirit and cosmic world. Similar in a fashion to the US and UK parliamentary ruling classes, the House of Uncommons is comprised of a prime minister (Lord Overseer), dignitaries representing domestic and foreign affairs (Shadow Ministers), education officials, secretaries of state and the like. Unlike the government we know which regulates roads, people, money, etc, the House of Uncommons is responsible for regulating the ebbs and flows of the spirit.
The members of the House are invisible to the 2 eyes (barely a glimpse can be caught with the "3rd eye") but altogether responsible for the balance of internal and karmic energies, electric brain circulation, surges and lulls in power and subtle and barely discernible shifts in consciousness that often get mistaken for "emotion" in people. When one feels a sickly pain in his/her/I stomach, when one experiences diarrhea, when one can feel anxious or shifty…. In most cases this can be attributed to a change in the nature of the ruling class within the House of Uncommons.
One might wonder if fate or luck has dealt him/her/I a bad hand, or maybe a good hand. That hand was most likely dealt by the shadow government within the House of Uncommons, the Queens Royal Opposition and the organization which governs the laws of the spiritual world. The prayers sent skyward, the aggravated and agitated states found inside cars stuck in traffic, over stimulation, bad manners, the easing of stress and the feeling of contentment; all these are actually controlled not by "mood" but by leaders within the House of Uncommons. While not officially concerned with matters of the "flesh", some of these power swings and shifts in policy within the shadow realm inevitably seep into the land of aches and pains and driving around buying aspirin.
The House of Uncommons has yet to be fully recognized as a legitimate governing body, although this show is a step towards official recognition. The leaders within the House are spirits of the mask and cloth, rarely exposing their true identities just like their physical counterparts. My role as artist and creator is to bring these leaders into the spotlight and into the consciousness of the public of the “flesh”.
Illustrations I created for Guiness beer's Reach for Greatness campaign. Video of the final product can be seen here.
Art for a clothing line surrounding the X-Games..
Exhibition of new paintings on panel..Cave Gallery in Los Angeles, July 2014.
The Shadow Cabinet is a faction of the House of Uncommons, the governmental system regulating the flow of life and energy within the spirit and cosmic world. Similar in a fashion to the US and UK parliamentary ruling classes, the House of Uncommons is comprised of a prime minister (Lord Overseer), dignitaries representing domestic and foreign affairs (Shadow Ministers), education officials, secretaries of state and the like. Unlike the government we know which regulates roads, people, money, etc, the House of Uncommons is responsible for regulating the ebbs and flows of the spirit.
The Shadow Cabinet is the division of the House of Uncommons which deals directly in the oversight and regulation of the governing body itself. Not all sentient beings or all forms of energy in the shadow realm are part of the parliamentary system. Many congregations of energy are benign, lazy creatures that live forever by expending the minimum amount of energy required to survive. Other forces are chaotic and crazy with no regard for governmental oversight, regulation or temperance. If given the opportunity, these chaotic energies would quickly spiral out of control. Thus the Shadow Cabinet is absolutely necessary to closely monitor, distribute and stabilize these various energy forces of the spirit world.
This control exists not only over outer space, but inner space.. not only "out" there, but "in" here... within ourselves here on planet Earth. The members of the Shadow Cabinet, because of their role in regulatory systems, are invariably linked to ourselves here on the blue planet... because the same energy "out" there is the same within ourselves. The balancing of power on a celestial level affects the balancing of internal power, electric function and circulation, power assemblage and the like. Oftentimes, the emotion of dread or elation we feel here on earth, or shifts in consciousness we experience, are directly correlated to shifts in energy flow within the Shadow Cabinet within the House of Uncommons.
Mural for the offices of Homeschool Outerwear, a local snowboard apparel company in Portland, Oregon.
Painted and cut plywood installation.
Art I created for the GNU Metal Gnuru snowboard model from 2013, 2014 and 2015 seasons.
Special release of the Arbor Axis, Mission and Timeless long board models featuring work from my ACID IN THE ICE CREAM series of drawings.
2 person installation show with Blaine Fontana at Evo Artspace in Seattle, Washington.. in conjunction with Arbor Snowboards..
Large scale graphite drawings created for DOS Art Show, Toronto, Ontario - July, 2013
The series of drawings that began the Acid in the Ice Cream saga.. Almost life size drawings on paper of individuals in the work force at the exact moment of "losing it"… Graphite and watercolor on paper. Originally shown at Backspace Gallery, Portland, Oregon, 2008.
Myself and Japanese artist MHAK were commissioned to paint the CUBE in the middle of the Jupiter Hotel courtyard, Portland, OR. As part of our SPIRIT FLYER exhibition.. in conjunction with Hellion Gallery.
Thinkspace Gallery installation… Painted cut plywood of various sizes. July 2008.
New paintings on paper for a two person show with myself and MHAK at Compound Gallery, Portland, Oregon.
Original artwork created for the premier issue of CONTAINS CAFFEINE, an Australian magazine dedicated to cafe culture.
Installation using northwest drift stumps.. Thinkspace Gallery 2008
Large scale paintings on paper for a solo exhibition at MOHS Gallery in Denmark, 2012.
Modified Targets.. graphite on paper
Roving installation project utilizing hand painted and cut plywood characters in various settings.
Three person show at Thinkspace Gallery featuring illustration work by myself, Marion Bolognesi, and Tony Phillipou
Two person show at Foundation One Gallery between myself and Charlie Owens - Decatur, Georgia, 2007
I was selected by Kinkyform as an artist to customize one of its new products, the KINKYWOOD, a screenprinted table template you can assemble at home. Limited to 50 pieces produced.
Painting collaborative between myself and artist MHAK.. for the Strange Bedfellows exhibition at Compound Gallery, Portland, Oregon.
Series of original illustrations inspired by Frank Frizetta for HOMESCHOOL OUTERWEAR. These were concepts for labels.
Art and design for K2 Snowboards.
Painted cut plywood installation at Foundation One Gallery, Decatur, Georgia.. 2007
Working in conjunction with Compound Gallery in Portland, Oregon, I was given the opportunity to design an artist Mountain Dew can.
I was invited to be an artist for Osiris Skate's CANVAS program. I created original artwork for the entire sneaker package, from the box to insoles and outer shell. This main graphic also ended up as a tshirt and print ad.
Original illustration for the Florida based group, Art Official
Art and design for the California based ARBOR SNOWBOARDS
Various works 2001 - 2007
Series of editorial Illustrations for BLACK + WHITE Magazine.
Artwork for other models of LINE Skis
Original illustrations for the Hong Kong based brand Silly Thing..
