J.W. Johnson, the Artist

Born near St Louis, Missouri in 1960, James W. Johnson has spent much of his life exploring the beauty of the human body.

    Photography has always been a strong influence in Johnson`s life from the time he joined his hometown volunteer fire department. Spraying water on the fire, though, was never as important to him as photographing fire and rescue scenes. Johnson is very courageous - involving himself in the action, as well as driving and operating the fire trucks. Engineering fire trucks, photography, and helping others in need continue to be strong passions in his life today.
While attending college, he studied fire science and criminal justice, and actively worked with the Photography Club, studying Fine Arts and learning to develop and print all types of films.

    When employment in his field of study looked dismal, Johnson turned to his love of photography and opened his own photofinishing lab and studio operation in the mid 80`s. After nineteen years of general portraiture and commercial photographic work, Johnson again changed fields and began another career in emergency services, again helping people in need.

    In 1995, Johnson photographed and co-produced a calendar of male and female models intertwined into a firefighting theme, traveled statewide with his models and photographed them at several fire stations and museums to produce the calendar cover as well as the interior layouts. Four posters were also photographed and produced during this time, and were successfully marketed and distributed worldwide.

    Some of his commercial work has included photographing male and female models on four wheelers and jet ski watercraft for local dealers, which also provided modeling opportunities for several of Johnson`s discoveries. Several of his models still travel locally and out of state, working with photographer and producer contacts.

    Johnson pursued the exploration of combining beautiful light with beautiful bodies, sometimes the use of dramatic lighting, often times the use of natural lighting and the outdoors, and during the colder months, re-creating the effects of natural light through the use of artificial lighting, always to create dynamic figure studies of the male and female figure. When confined to the studio during colder weather, Johnson often prefers to create harsh lighting and often cloaks the identity of his models in dense and dark shadows, leaving sinewy muscle and definition to the imagination and enjoyment of the viewer.

    Preferring the natural outdoor setting, Johnson photographs his models selectively, utilizing private and secluded locations which often include waterfalls, sand dunes, rock formations, old barns and historic structures. Here, Johnson is able to combine the elements of lighting and the beauty of the model to create the elements of power, strength, sensuality, and fine art beauty to produce dynamic and stunning images.

    Whether working with slim and sensual frames, lean and toned torsos, natural swimmers builds, beefy hard bodies, or sexy and sultry, Johnson is able to transcend the beauty of the male and female human form to a level of artistic imagery.

    His future plans include additional art gallery work, additional selective coloring within his limited black and white gallery work, and continuing to set up summer work sessions.

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