Most people view the advent of summer as a signal to slow down and relax, but for artist Eirik Johnson, this year’s warming months are a time to ramp up as he prepares to debut two creative projects. Born and raised in Seattle, Johnson, whose deeply emotional photography covers a range of subjects, will release a new monograph, Leviathan Rising (MW Editions), this fall in conjunction with an exhibition at the Tacoma Art Museum. Simultaneously, he is preparing work for a September exhibition that is the culmination of his residency at Recology. 

A visual artist who wasn’t initially sure he wanted to pursue art, Johnson has settled nicely into his niche, traveling the world to capture images for both his fine art practice and respected publications such as Dwell and the New York Times. “I find the world endlessly fascinating,” Johnson says. “More often than not, inspiration comes when simply paying closer attention to the everyday, so I try to slow down, stay alert, and be open to where my curiosity takes me.” 

Eirik Johnson

Currently, Johnson has an exhibition, PINE, presented by Koplin Del Rio as part of a summer residency at Foster/White Gallery in Pioneer Square. Comprising nocturnal, long-exposure photographs of carved trees—hearts, words, and symbols scrawled into the bark—the exhibition is raw, punkish, and romantic all at once. A reminder of our almost inexhaustible need to be remembered, the images catalogue an interaction between humans and nature that’s at once violent, tender, and thought-provoking. 

PINE is on view through July 25 at Foster/White Gallery. 

Hometown:

Seattle

Discipline:

Primarily photography with sound and installation

Favorite Spot in Seattle:

I grew up in the city, so I’ve got a lot of favorite old-school haunts. I’ve been going to Elliott Bay Book Company since its Pioneer Square days and still love to lose track of time deep in its shelves. Discovery Park is a pretty amazing place. During my undergrad years at the University of Washington, I worked on a long-term project photographing the park and somehow, I ended up as the youngest board member of the Friends of Discovery Park. What I love about the place are the many layers of history it contains, what it was (military base), what it might have become (a Nike missile outpost), and what it turned out to be (re-wilded public park).

Describe your work in three words.

Lyrical. Complex. Rigorous.

ITS ONLY ME, 2014. Archival pigment print, edition 1/5, 20 in × 16 in.

Courtesy of Foster/White Gallery

SAVE, 2014. Backlit light box, edition 2/5, 40 in × 32 in x 2 3⁄4 in.

Courtesy of Foster/White Gallery

When did you know you wanted to be an artist?

I knew I wanted to be creative since I was young, but I thought that would filter into me being an architect, a commercial photographer, or perhaps a musician. It took a while to warm up to the concept of being a visual artist. In 1999-2000, I received a Fulbright Fellowship to Peru. It was during that year of self-directed creative exploration that I fully committed to calling myself an artist. 

What are you working on now?

It’s a busy season at the moment. In addition to the current exhibition with Koplin Del Rio at Foster/White, I will be publishing my new monograph Leviathan Rising with MW Editions this fall in conjunction with an exhibition at the Tacoma Art Museum. The book is a stunning object and I’m looking forward to sharing it. Also, this summer, I’m one of two artists in residence at Recology where I’m making photographs, sculptures, and sound work. We’ll be premiering that work at an exhibition in early September. I’m really trying to embrace experimentation during the residency.

Koplin Del Rio presents Eirik Johnson: PINE. Summer residency at Foster/White, June 4 – July 25, 2026.

Courtesy of Foster/White Gallery

What draws you to your particular medium?

Photography is seemingly capable of being both forensic in its attention to detail and poetically surreal as a moment pulled from the flow of time. It’s also just a really good excuse to prioritize my curiosity.

Share one piece of advice you wish you knew when you were first starting out.

Humility and ambition are not mutually exclusive.

Define success on your terms.

Being able to realize my creative potential.

Thoughts on the current art market?

Honestly, it seems to be on life support. Mid-tier galleries in affluent cities such as Seattle and San Francisco become fewer by the year. More wealth does not dictate more appreciation or affinity for collecting art, at least when it comes to photography.  

THE SMITHS, 2014. Archival pigment print, edition 1/5, 50 in × 40 in.

Courtesy of Foster/White Gallery

What has been the biggest industry change you’ve noticed since the start of your career?

When I was a young twenty-one-year-old learning what it was I was trying to say with photography, very few people actually made pictures. It took effort to pick up a camera, buy film, properly expose, process ,and print an image. Now, we consume and create a sea of photographs every day, thanks to the camera phone and social media. This does not mean that we are making better photographs, or that we understand, or even appreciate photography more. In fact, I’d argue it’s dulled our appreciation of the medium.

What do you still hope to accomplish?

Several years ago, I produced a major site-specific photographic and sound-based installation of my Leviathan Rising project at the Georgetown Steam Plant. It was a massive logistical undertaking, but the resulting presentation was hugely successful and elevated my desire to develop further site-specific installations. I’d love the opportunity to approach similarly ambitious projects internationally.

Koplin Del Rio presents Eirik Johnson: PINE. Summer residency at Foster/White, June 4 – July 25, 2026.

Courtesy of Foster/White Gallery

Who do you admire and why?

I have admiration for a whole host of folks for different reasons. I admire my old professor, Linda Connor, both as an artist and educator, but also as a community builder. More locally, I admire my friend the artist and musician Dan Webb, who doesn’t shy away from technique and craft while making deeply conceptual and personal work. And I admire my mother who, in her golden years, is never for lack of wonder in the world.