Jeff Johnson is a visual artist living and working in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has work in the permanent collection of Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, the Minnesota Historical Society, and has had his work shown at the Walker Art Center. Since 1996 he has been the owner and Creative Director for Replace Inc. 

Acquisitions: roguebuddha@hotmail.com

ABOUT THE WORK

This is work by me, Jeff Johnson. I have some of my work in the Permanent Collection of Smithsonian’s Cooper Hewitt and the Minnesota Historical Society.  This project goes all the way back to 1989. My drawing in structor at the time, Carl Oltvedt assigned us all a drawing project. "Study your Cultural History". Around me the other college art kids started sketching Celtic Crosses and Viking Ships. I never had any real connection to any of that stuff. I grew up in a concrete basement in ND, the youngest child of 8 in a working-poor ND farm family with raw 2x4 studs and raw cement.

In response to the assignment, I oddly sketched a Thermos. 27 years later, that first sketch finally matures into a show. I’m still hoping this improves my grade in his class. The work is a series of one-of-a-kind photo prints and one larger sculptural piece. All of the work is a study of thermoses. A thermos is a pretty interesting piece to me when having a conversation about men. It was the ever-present silent companion for my abusive, combat-veteran, Norwegian-American farmer father. The Mid-century modern patterns on a Thermos often were the only work-time art or decoration his generation ever saw.

But most important to me is what a thermos does. When everything else is cold and frigid - a thermos brings the heat. When everything is unbearably hot, a thermos provides a cool hand. These are legacy traits we assign to men. We expected these traits of men. We expected stoic silence, and we assign these prejudices at our peril. Soft, vulnerable, formless material on the inside - formed by some kind of protective, unforgiving armor. There are always two conversations going on with men. One conversation is the story we were told about manhood. The other is the conversation we are speaking now. The latter is one that has the highest chance of representing any kind of truth. There is a term that is used for this generation surrounding many issues, including the conversation around men. They call it “The Ice-Breaker Generation”. The generation previous to mine (to all of us) would never (would never dream) of talking about physical abuse, addiction, sexual abuse, depression, suicide, or any of the real issues that affect masculine development or destroy it. My generation - and everyone that now follows - does not inherit this limitation. It does not inherit this unforgiving, metal form. We have shed it. 

CV

American, (1969 -)
Born in Fargo, ND
Lives & works in Minneapolis, Minnesota

Education

BFA Minnesota State University Moorhead (1988-1992)

Awards

Permanent collection of Smithsonian Institute's Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum
Permanent collection Minnesota Historical Society

SELECTED EXHIBITS

Walker Art Center
Minnesota by Design
March 3, 2015
Walker Art Center, Minneapolis MN

89.3 The Current presents Kinda Like Some Artists:
The Replacements Poster Show
08.24.14
Hamilton Ink Spot:
Hamilton Ink Spot,  Saint Paul, Minnesota 55102
 
Scary Ink 2
10.31.13 – 11.16.13
Big Table Studio, St. Paul, MN.
 
MN Invents Poster Exhibit
September 2013
St. Cloud State University
Kiehle Art Gallery
 
MN Invents Poster Exhibit at the Minnesota Cup Final Awards Event.
9.11.13
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
McNamera Center, Minneapolis, MN.
 
Poster Offensive 6
11.03.12 – 12.3.12
Big Table Studio, St. Paul, MN.
 
Poster Offensive 5
10.29.10 – 11.07.10
GALLEY, Minneapolis, MN.
 
Moorhead Design 40
October 2009
40th anniversary of the Design Dept, Alumni Show.
Minnesota State University at Moorhead
Center For The Arts Gallery – Moorhead, MN
 
Art Crank
April 2009
One on One Coffeehouse and Gallery – Minneapolis, MN

Poster Offensive 4
September – November 2008
Black Dog Cafe: St. Paul, MN 08.15.08-09.15.08
Frank Stone Gallery: Minneapolis, MN. 10.03.08-10.12.08
 
Art Crank
April – 2007
One on One Coffeehouse and Gallery.