About
Artist Bio
Lucus Johnson is a Denver based artist pursuing a degree in art education with an emphasis in graphic design at RMCAD. Lucus was born in Bangkok, Thailand but was raised in Rock Springs, Wyoming, and spent summers back in his home country.
Growing up Lucus was inspired by the colorful theatrics of silver age comic books, and the enigmatic rawness of train car graffiti. In high school Lucus began his first major project, the Odd!ty collection, an ongoing series of sketches with characters and backgrounds composed of abstract, squiggly lines. Lucus began to merchanise his work by putting the designs on stickers and t-shirts, then selling them during lunch period. Lucus also took up making poster and logo designs for friends and members of his community.
Lucus graduated high school in 2022, after receiving several academic and art related awards, as well as having developed an online clothing store. He has just recently moved to Denver to attend Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design, hoping to continue his graphic design aspirations and pass on a love of art to the next generation of young learners.
Artist Statement
I see each of my works as a symphony of line, color, and shape. Every medium is a genre, with every utensil acting as an instrument where each stroke made is akin to a note. I am the most in my element when I get to work with color, where I often times take a maximalist approach. My favorite mediums to create with are ink pens and Adobe Illustrator,.
Growing up, I had always felt like a misfit, not fitting into any given social catagory, and often times being bullied for reasons beyond my control. I was a stereotypical geek, indulging myself with comic book tales and building Lego cars. I had felt small and unheard by my peers, almost as if I had never truly existed. I took up art out of escapism, if I couldn’t find a place in this world, then I would create a world of my own. My personal style is an arrangement of abstract linework, often incorporating a menagerie of bright colors.
At the end of the day, I strive to make fun artwork unlike anything the observer may have seen before. I also wish to reward viewers of my work by creating an interconnected world within my various projects. There are many recurring characters and symbols inside of my art, all representing different aspects of my personality and life experiences. These include the exclamation point, sailor, disguise mask, and businessman, just to name a few.
I seek the most inspiration from silver age comic books, street art, punk rock, and 90s underground hip hop. I realize that all of these have a layer of raw emotion that the audience can engage with. As a result, I find no joy in holding my artmaking practices to any precise standards, as I maintain that my best work is produced out of catharticism and joy. In my teaching pursuits, I look to pass down a similar ideal to students, where art is a gratifying venture.
Thank you so very much for reading this, and I hope you enjoy my artwork as much as I enjoyed making it.
-LJ