Eirik Johnson: Missy's studio, 2007 Archival pigment print, 24 x 30 in. / 40 x 50 in.
Eirik Johnson's color photographs chronicle his study of Sawdust Mountain, a once idyllic patch of the Pacific Northwest now in decline after a century of human encroachment. The story is a familiar one - early settlers attracted by the sublime beauty and abundant natural resources - of Washington state in the case - began local nature-based industries that eventually depleted the natural resources. The romance of lumberjacks and fishermen taming the wilderness and living off the land has been replaced by the hardscrabble reality of those now trying to eke out a living as well as conservationists and ecologists trying to save and restore the landscape. Johnson presents a well-rounded portrait of a town and country struggling to find solutions to these conflicting demands. His photographs capture the history and legacy of the industries, the landscape at the center of the vortex, and the changes undertaken to stauch the economic and ecological declines so all can survive.
Johnson was born in Seattle, WA and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Washington, Seattle and with a Master of Fine Arts from the San Francisco Art Institute. "Sawdust Mountain" photographs will also be exhibited at the Henry Art Gallery at the University of Washington who co-published the accompanying book with Aperture. Other Johnson book and exhibitions include "Borderlands" from 2006 and "Animal Holes" from 2007. Johnson is currently living and teaching in Boston at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design.
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