Among the new artists, the figure of Michael Johansson is certainly the most interesting and versatile. Interesting for his  personal research in the development of every possible creative action and his method of decomposition, manipulation and re-composition of any site-specific installation or sculpture-object in its own right; versatile for the accessible approach that any artwork of Michael demonstrates directly before the eyes of the beholder, without necessarily requiring tiring  keys to reading the work or difficult interpretations, covertly or openly suggested.

His tireless and obsessive research consists mostly of identifying, selecting, and including everyday items that once belonged to other people and then were abandoned everywhere: markets, second hand shops; or items simply received from others that Michael Johansson, through one of the most immediate elements, color, indeed, reconstitutes into all kinds of unusual modular scenarios, alternative performances in every creative assembly.

No detail, during every work in progress is left to chance or at the mercy of the danger of the inevitable fate of turning into that negligible value that each step of a creative action, any creative action, almost always tends to sacrifice.

Colour and function, eventually work as the main anchors that the Swedish artist considers an important part of his work. Victor Vasarely was using in his geometric compositions several modular elements, appropriately combined and united by a single colour matrix, then diluted in percentages and tonal derivations, obtained from the same match system.

The final combined vision then, is of a reconstituted optical perception, mostly illusions generated by chromatic interference, made fascinating and unprecedented, by the elaboration and re-combination of the chromatic process and perspective, transferred into another visual metric.

With different materials and a selection of a variety of functional items intended for commercial and daily use, Michael Johansson manipulates colors and shapes by positioning modules, resting them and fitting them into every visible nook and cranny between spaces, becoming visual fields by accident, in which conceptual processes and the use of materials work together to the total cancellation of the interstices and cracks that would be visually disturbing or aesthetically also malfunctioning.

The lines of demarcation, more recognizable in the two-dimensional tonal compositions of Piet Mondrian, shift in the works of Michael like lines pulled almost imperceptibly from the borders and volumetric differences detectable in some three-dimensional puzzle that each of us has handled at least once during our childhood. Particularly fascinating is the way in which the construction materials opportunely return to the original state of separation of the modular elements before every new assembly.

Johansson’s he new everyday toys speak of what is in effect a simple representation of other aesthetic concepts and move them from their  original functional performance and allows us to observe them as fascinating exoskeletons, to be placed on the wall as posthumous evidence of genuine industrial anthropology.

On the other hand, there has always been a natural inclination of the human being to disassemble what most intrigues us in order to find out what happens inside one or more complex mechanisms that are part of any consumer object.

The ironic and playful language of this talented, deeply conceptual new Expressive, Avant-garde, artist has attracted the attention of several prestigious galleries, such as the Italian, The Flat in Milan and Galleri Anderson/Sandström, Stockholm.

The only question to ask such a successful artist is what would happen if he shifted and moved items from one of his more complex compositions, attempting to reinstall them in other areas of that particular work? Just as in the analytic practice of therapeutic psychology, once psycho-emotional elements are moved, it would be difficult to reposition them in areas where they were previously located, resulting in a possible collapse of every perceptual and emotional structure. A question that Michael will be happy to answer you personally in the following interview.

Interview to Michael Johansson

1) Thank you for this interview, Michael. Throughout your work, undoubtedly linked to factors such as accuracy, measurement of spaces and objects, interaction and assembling with ideas drawn a bit more from your own cutting edge industrial way of understanding the ready made, there are other factors such as visual memory, a totally cerebral color match system that somehow controls your instinctive and technical processing of any artwork you create. Among the items mentioned above, what are the primary factors that stimulate your creative process, through to the visual representation of an idea?

M.J. There are many factors that play a role in the making of a new piece. Using the colors and the shapes of the objects as a platform for them to interact is my way of loosening their original purpose and make them into art. But forcing myself to adapt to the already fixed appearances and limitations of the objects actually makes them easier for me to relate to. It helps me not having a stream of endless possibilities when making a work. The limitations force me to react, ushering my creative decision-making; an endless stream of possibilities wouldn’t provide the same. And since all the items I use already come with a defined color and shape, as well carrying their own narratives, I almost feel that the work creates itself once I begin making it. So what others might find obstructive, the restriction that comes by working with a defined set of parameters, have become a necessity in my practice.

2) Idea, form, function, and spaces; what is the first element to suggest a new job? And why? In short, what is the first thing to determine the direction of the other?

M.J. It varies a lot depending on the character of the work, as some of them are made in my studio and others are site-specific pieces created on spot in museums or public spaces. Nevertheless, the main challenge always lies in finding the right objects to fit within a specific system of limitations. Sometimes a piece of furniture or a gap in the architecture can be the starting point for a new piece and, sometimes, a new concept decides what kind of objects I need to make it happen. But it is always a coherence between the material and the concept. In the same way that the idea tells me what material to choose, the material partakes in bringing the concept forward. 

3) Post Industrial artwork, conceptual exhibition artwork or definitely marketable art? How would you define your work, at a time when, in different countries, an artwork, especially if it is within spaces such as shopping arcades, is still identified as the painting of a beautiful landscape, a particular image, or a more traditional, figurative sculpture?

M.J.     I always seek out opportunities that I feel are challenging in a direction that is constructive for the development of my work. I have decided to focus on a coherent content in my work rather than in where it is displayed, and have found myself involved in many different situations throughout the years. Diverse venues and the different frameworks they offer, provide me with a constantly changing range of possibilities, allowing me to slowly alter my work. However, it is not as easy to say that a certain venue will require a certain kind of work. I have made large site-specific installations in commercial galleries, and small freestanding sculptures in major public spaces.

4) There are fun aspects and interactivity in all your work. The first impulse for anyone watching your pieces or site-specific projects is precisely to interact, perhaps by touching and maybe even by trying to rearrange into another possible nook and cranny every element in the global composition you produce. Which of these aspects, in particular, would you give much more emphasis? Passive or active reaction, from the audience?

M.J.     One of the main reasons why I use ordinary items in my work is because it's something people have a relation to from before. And I hope this connection invites the viewer to experience the work on a more intimate level. The humorous undertone in my work is also a way to catch the attention of the audience, compelling them to spend a longer time exploring my work, while hopefully finding other levels of interest as well.

But, even though the works I do seem to have tangible qualities, very few of them are meant for people to interact with physically. All items are carefully attached, and it is no longer possible to change the position of the objects. Nevertheless I hope the viewer feels invited to further interact with my works on an aesthetic and intellectual level. And that they become interested in how the new circumstances in which these items that they recognize from before is presented changes the narratives they with old.

5) At one time artists were born; today artists are created maybe, even, at the table. How was the artist Michael Johansson born? Are you one of the many fabricated creatures, or have some galleries bet on you because you really have something to tell, in your expressive style and conceptual significance, that is pretty accessible, albeit in its complexity?

M.J.     I did spend many years in art school, which drastically changed what I considered to be art in many different ways. But since I moved around between a few schools during my education, never staying at the same institution for more than two years, I don't feel I became a typical product from any of them, rather that I made my own mix from what I felt was the most interesting lesson each place had to offer. And one of the most important things I learned during that time was that I should never alter my work to fit a certain context, but rather keep searching for a context that fits with my work. That is something that has been important for me ever since. And I certainly hope that my works can add to a contemporary dialogue. Otherwise I would never spend all this time making them.

6) In a possible experiment to stimulate an audience, perhaps during the official opening of one of your exhibitions, individually or collectively, as many artists have encouraged recently, might a participatory action occur in the form of a public performance? Is this something you have ever thought of? How could a visitor or an observer take part in one of your site specific projects or even move and reassemble some of the elements of your works to change every possible final perception, visually and conceptually?

M.J.     I've always had a strong interest to include the audience in my work, but never in a directly performative way. When I make a site specific piece my time in the exhibition space is almost always very limited, due to the short time span I have to install between the previous show and my own opening. So I am used to working with a tight deadline. But I also treasure this process and want to make the most out of it. So to add a layer of interaction with the audience in this particular stage has never felt like an option, especially since the process of making all the various parts fit actually isn't a very social act. But, when I work in the public space, I am almost always approached by people passing by, asking everything from what on earth I'm doing, to showing appreciation. Which, most of the times is a rewarding interaction. I also recently made a few time-lapse videos capturing the process of making two larger site-specific installations, since I was interested in mapping the workflow. These I have showed both in exhibitions and online. So it is not that I want to keep my process a secret rather than I want to use the limited time I have to make a new piece count.

7) Michael Johansson as modern sculptor or Michael Johansson as ambient artist? Which of the two definitions?

M.J.     Ever since I started thinking about myself as an artist, it's been important for me to be able to move between different exhibition contexts. I have also never really been interested in labels, since those also add expectations that might limit the possible development of future work. So, for now, I prefer to jump between the two definitions and to experience how my work is changing character depending on the context where it's displayed. 

8) Galleri Anderson/Sandström, somehow one of you chose the other. The simple sale and marketing of what you produce might not be the only motivation. Can you tell us why? What do you see in each other that leads you to decide to operate a common path?

M.J.     My first collaboration with Galleri Andersson/Sandström was in the fall of 2009, when they invited me to take part of a group exhibition in their gallery in Umeå, the northern part of Sweden. This set out for a good start and we all wanted to deepen our relationship. We did this through two larger site specific installations the year after, one of them being “Self Contained” made up by shipping containers, a tractor, a Volvo etc, which is still to date the largest installation I've made. This was a real challenge and not at all a commercial project, at least not in a traditional sense. But that did not stop the gallery from putting lots of time and effort into making the project happen. They also put their trust in my vision, even though I had never done any work on this scale before.

Lately we have also collaborated in more traditional gallery exhibitions, in which they have also sold my work. But I think it's that we agree on the bigger picture, that the most important thing is to present a strong body of work rather than exclusively focusing on commercial products; this is what makes us a good team. And their ability to walk that extra mile, each new project.

9) Tell us, if you would like about  your latest exhibition project and why the public should go to see it?

M.J.     I have just finished a new work for an upcoming duo-exhibition with the Swedish painter Marcus Eek, at the gallery Helsinki Contemporary in Helsinki. The exhibition opens beginning of May and I am presenting something that in many ways might feel quite different from what I have done before. And perhaps that is also a good reason for people to go see it.