Bikernet Finds the Beauty in the Darkness with Gunner Johnson

Gunner Johnson is an artist of great instincts when it comes to finding beauty in the dark, ugly & strange.

This natural talent has led him to his passion of creating metal sculptures, jewelry and leather work that achieves outstanding depth and character. His portfolio consists of pieces conjured in his highly original imagination with inspirations ranging from mystical creatures to a beloved old friend, a dog named “Charlee”.

“I see the beauty inherent in nature, even in the face of destruction, and from that vision, I create more life.”
-Gunner Johnson

Many of his intricate works are produced from reused materials that he has collected himself, directed into their destined forms & slowly brought to life. Gunner reflects a certain spiritual intensity into his art that never fails to make someone stop & wonder.

In 1990, with no prior experience or formal training, he began drawing, painting, and sculpting. In Gunner’s words, “I opened a door and found a sky.”

“Sky” being his world of art. A world of intricate design and detail, of strange objects and subject matter, challenging juxtapositions of dark and light, and of torch and steel.

Check out my latest toys on You Tube below – “Heavy Metal Toy Factory”

He is an artist that sees poetic beauty in the transformation of an ordinary Spitfire hood into a “hovercraft” for a larger-than-life alien woman shaped entirely of polished steel which rotates 360 degrees on a pedestal. Original, thought provoking, and mind bending.

Today he creates rather than destroys. His art is a blend of magic, mysticism, demons and heroes. It has been said that he brings to life incredible form and beauty from assumed destruction. He turns lifeless items, such as burnt pieces of wood from the Topanga fires, into the legs of a throne. (See gallery pics of his “Throne” for the film Batman Forever.)