Bennett Johnson: A Few Of My Favourite Things

I enjoy having an incredibly sparse workspace and, in some ways, consider myself a pretty utilitarian person. 

I've always admired the creative workshops of other artists but, being slightly ADD, have often felt overwhelmed by the amount of stimuli. 

Steve Jobs, with his single lamp and mattress, is what has always seemed to put my mind more at ease. 

However, I’m not a complete robot and do allow myself to indulge in a few peculiarities.

The Croc

If you're ever on a Zoom call with me, you might think I'm a pretty average bloke, but what you don't know is that I've got these bad boys underneath the table. 

I'm not just dry toast.

I'm different.

I wore Crocs before Crocs were acceptable, but now they’re everywhere in Brooklyn, degrading the irreverence that made me cherish them initially.

My beloved Crocs have simply become a sad sort of slipper, never seeing the light of day. However, I still feel an added sense of pizzazz while wearing them.

I'm also including this beautiful ceramic Croc that I keep by my desk, a gift from my friend and collaborator Mikey Van Beuren, who knows the way to my heart.

The Bible

If I don’t read my Bible in the morning, I get grouchy. 

It’s pretty convicting when you’re acting like a brat because something isn’t going your way, and then you read, 'Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves.' 

Gulp. 

But for real, the Bible reminds me that the best piece of work I make will be forgotten in 100 years, but the way you treat people (especially when they disagree with your creative genius) is far more important than anything you create. 

It also gives savagely good advice on how to handle clients during edits.

The Caps

I grew up in England and never saw myself as a 'baseball cap guy.'

The progression was: I grew long hair -> I couldn’t be bothered to style it -> I refused to cut it -> I become baseball cap guy.

At this point, I’m starting to embrace this new persona and have begun collecting novelty baseball caps from everywhere I go for jobs. 

The one on the left is from a shoot in New Orleans this year, where I was nearly eaten by an alligator on a swamp tour. 

The baseball cap on the right is from a 100-year-old general store in New Mexico. 

It lovingly has 'Here a long time' inscribed on it. 

We ended up shooting for an extra week on that job, so it became quite fitting.

The Photo Books

I think experiencing art through photobooks is one of the best ways to do it. 

Looking at art on a screen feels too small, while seeing it in a gallery can feel too distant. 

It feels very intimate to have a really high-quality print of a painting or photo in your home, right in front of you. 

The images almost become stories unto themselves as you flick through the pages.

There was a time when I wanted to buy a nice photobook after every job I won, but then I realized how expensive they are and how, living in NY, we have no space. 

However, I do have a few classics, especially from when I was a teenager and inspired by different works. 

Many of them are paintings from when I thought I would pursue that path, but maybe one day I'll have a nice mahogany bookshelf to grow the collection.