212 Arts is pleased to present Damon Johnson’s 3rd solo exhibition at the gallery, entitled “Animal Kingdom.” Using his unique aesthetic of blending wheat pasting, graffiti, and street art, Damon has explored the animal kingdom though the lens of pop culture including cartoons, tattoos, skateboard graphics, and comic book imagery.  Inspired by the quote “I was raised in the Animal Kingdom of NY” by the hip hop artists Natural Elements, Johnson weaved this diverse imagery through highly layered backgrounds of vintage comic books and supermarket circulars.  The artist explains, “We really are no different than animals, you have your predators and prey. At the end of the day we all just the want the same essentials as animals. Food, Shelter, Sex, and Power.  Some us are just more savage then others.”

In the past year Johnson has completed murals for The Ridge Hotel, The Lisa Project’s World Pride Mural Project, Drip Project, The Grand Street Bid, The Rose & Thistle in Portland OR and The Art Hotel in Palm Springs, CA.  The artist has continued his practice of graffiti and street art on the streets of Portland, Oregon for the past 5 past years.

Johnson has also collaborated with companies and brands including: Design Within Reach, The Surf Lodge in Montauk, the U.S. OPEN, The Jue Lan Club, 2 Buts, Pink Elephant, Eleven, Go-Go, Retox, and Webster Hall.

Johnson’s work has been displayed in such galleries as Long View Gallery, Mark Murray Fine Arts, Rochester Contemporary Arts Center, Factory Fresh, Octavia Gallery, Sotheby’s, Half Gallery, and The New Museum. Press features and favorable reviews have appeared in such publications as Gotham Magazine, Forbes Magazine, Radar, Zink, SOS, Hampton’s Magazine, The City Review, The Daily News, The New York Post, The New York Observer and The New York Times. His work is in the permanent collection of the Patterson, Hamilton, and Chelsea Art Museums.