Meet Michael E. Johnson | Painter, Illustrator & Graphic Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Michael E. Johnson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Michael E., why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
That’s a great question! I chose a creative career because I grew up interested in sports, the arts, and video games in the 80’s, as the world of mass marketing and hyper consumption was really beginning to take off. As a kid, I always gravitated to things that I felt required a level of skill and unique ability to accomplish. Something about the competitive nature of trying to develop mastery in a particular area of gifting or interest fueled my creative mind to want to produce. I found that if I enjoyed doing something, I could do it over and over repetitively without getting tired of it. Later, I found that this act of repetition and focus in any area of interest was my key to success.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I like to define my artwork as “Chronicles of Black Culture”. When I was in the process of cultivating my personal style, I wanted to create artwork that had a Pop Art/Graphic Design feel to it, but I wanted the work to simultaneously tell stories. It was my intent to create narrative pieces that viewers could identify with while referencing a particular moment in time that told a story about the person or people in the piece.

About 3 years ago, I posted a “Do The Right Thing” painting I did on Instagram and had the fortunate opportunity to get the attention of the iconic rap group, Public Enemy. They gave me a shoutout and posted my artwork on their IG page and tagged several people on the post including Spike Lee, which ultimately lead to me connect to Spike as a collector of my work. Most recently I had the opportunity to have 2 of my paintings displayed in Spike Lee’s: Creative Sources Exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum, which was a retrospective of over 450 artifacts from his vast personal collection of items.

I got to where I professionally am today in art, by giving up on my artistic dreams for almost 15 years, and then coming back to my dream in 2015 when I realized that my desire to follow my passion was greater than my desire to give up on myself. It definitely wasn’t easy to get back in the game as an aspiring artist after a 15 year hiatus, but I had to make my re-entry and progression one step at a time. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned from my journey is that focus and consistency are 2 of the biggest factors in accomplishing your goals. There are TONS of phenomenally talented people in the world in every imaginable field, but talent isn’t always the defining factor of success. Writing your goals down on paper, executing your goals and being relentless in your pursuit is the key!

I really want my brand and story to be one that highlights and chronicles the contributions of Black people to American History. I feel that it is important to pass down a positive legacy to the next generation of young people by relaying the origin of events and transcendent historical figures through visual and oral history.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would definitely say that I would take a friend to Downtown Dallas to see the architecture and amazing skyline of the city. I would have to show them the various facets of “The Metroplex” and explain the uniqueness of Fort Worth in comparison to Arlington, in comparison to Dallas and try to give some nuance to what makes each city its own entity.

I would have to take them to get some real Texas Barbecue and show them how we do it here in Texas! Also, I would have to take them to the Fabrication Yard, Deep Ellum, the Fort Worth and Dallas Museum District and to Cowboy’s Stadium so they could see it for themselves, live and in living color. I’m sure I would have to find some other activities in the city to hit up, but I would start here and build my way up…

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
One of my biggest influences and mentors was my undergraduate art teacher Reverend Clarence Talley. I made the decision to become an art major while attending Prairie View A & M University, and although I enjoyed creating art as a hobby, I never envisioned myself becoming a professional artist. However, after I took several classes under Reverend Talley, he began to explain and teach me about what it meant to be a professional artist. The mentorship, encouragement and visuals I saw of Rev working in the studio, along with his sincere passion about being serious about your craft pushed me to excel beyond what I imagined was possible for myself in art. He gave me the confidence I needed to believe that I could make it as a professional artist. Major shoutout to Reverend Talley!

Website: www.mjohnsonartwork.com

Instagram: mjohnson_art