Michael Johansson
” I am fascinated walking around flea markets finding doubles of seemingly unique, though often useless objects I have already purchased at another flea market. Despite the fact that I did not have any use for them even the first time, the desire to own two of these objects becomes too strong to resist. The unique and unknown origin of the object increases my desire to want the double – the unlikelihood of this sensation repeating itself produces an attraction that is too strong to resist. This combination of the now-familiar and the new-unknown are among the various factors that come together to create the irresistible pull of these objects. This re-iterated fascination and the overwhelming desire that follows is central to my art practice. ” – Michael Johansson
42 Comments, Comment or Ping
Sicluli
Mar 11th, 2010
Totonio
It’s Beautifull..
Mar 11th, 2010
Pereira
Mar 11th, 2010
Maggie
Reminds me of Tetris. But more aesthetically pleasing.
Does wonders for my OCD to see everything has its own place.
Mar 13th, 2010
Justin
I think me and this artist would be complete polar opposites. I am such a mess LOL
Mar 19th, 2010
Damo
Didn’t strike me originally as a collection of junk, or the tidy habits of an obsessive flea market addict, more a social commentary on the idea of saving space is a great idea – handy when we are becoming more numerous as a species and packed into tinier boxes. This lack of clutter apealing to many people i suspect who see their lives overflowing with this the stuff
well done that man
Mar 23rd, 2010
aaron
beautiful? i don’t get beautiful.
but aesthetically pleasing for sure.
Mar 25th, 2010
Jazz
Wish this guy would help me pack.
Apr 2nd, 2010
Dianelle
Wow! please help me do this on my home haha
is amaizingggggggg! and CRAZY.
peace.
Apr 11th, 2010
peter
looks like he would be quite adept at tetris
Apr 15th, 2010
Stretch
You should be a packer for a moving company. we do this every day
Apr 16th, 2010
mrsleep
It’s mildly interesting.
Don’t think I’d call it art, though.
Apr 16th, 2010
adam
at mrsleep… HA! Your loss sir. Might not be your kind of art but it is clearly art.
Apr 16th, 2010
lacarroll
-OK and?? organized art?
Apr 18th, 2010
That Guy
It takes more than a meth habit and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder to make good art. Dope-head -Jimmy down the street has been making those in his front lawn for years . . . when he can find his fix.
Apr 19th, 2010
Faelan
Cool way to stay organized. But what if you need to get at your toofbrush?
Apr 22nd, 2010
me
wow… ocd in visual form
Apr 23rd, 2010
Chelsea
Have you ever played Jam Pack Jam? You would be.. Amazing.
Apr 27th, 2010
steve
Works well, it’s almost like a follow on from the lady who filled a gap in between 2 houses with chairs. Could be good to see how the opposites could be displayed, like to air inbetween all the items (like Rachel Whiteread).
Apr 28th, 2010
Fotograf
Swedish minimalism…?
Apr 28th, 2010
Millenion
the suit case is the most interesting to me
May 14th, 2010
Chris
I could do to be able to do this when tidying my room
May 28th, 2010
thisisdumb
This is not art. This is measurements and perfection and lame. The world of art is turning into this weird free-for-all where someone else (probably a professor at the school your parents wasted all their money on) decides that you’re allowed to have a voice, and gives you a space to do so. And then a bunch of no-talent losers stare at it, with no emotion, but try desperately to sound like they totally ‘get it’.
Dumb.
Jun 2nd, 2010
Duncan
@ thisisdumb
do you really think this is not art? I’m curious as to how you can claim this… in your opinion, good sir, what constitutes good art, or art at all?
You can say that today’s art is a weird free for all, but that’s just the art you see because it’s inventing something new, doing something that has never been done before. The majority of artists out there are painting pretty pictures, but it’s artists like these who get noticed because what they’re doing in new and unique. So maybe it’s not beautiful, but who says art has to be beautiful?
also, when you say this evokes no emotion, you are only speaking for yourself. I personally am moved by this, maybe not in terms of some grand epiphany but I feel like this work gives the viewer an look into the world of the artist and the way he sees things. I’m not sure if it’s commenting on society’s need to compartmentalize as someone above brought up, but it certainly does let you see things in a different way.
I’m just not sure how someone could argue this isn’t art. You can say you don’t like it, but if it’s not art what is it?
Jun 2nd, 2010
Chernobyl
Art is a grey area, always will be. Something that can’t be defined even though people will try till the end of time. My thought, art is whatever you consider art, it’s defined by the individual person.
Jun 3rd, 2010
micaiah
i dont get beautiful, but its cool, i wish i could do stuff like that, now, what happens when you need something from there?
Jun 8th, 2010
Distrisales
Really practical method to optmize the room.
Jun 12th, 2010
jessica
this is fucking stupid
Jun 16th, 2010
Tufi
Very satisfying.
Jun 20th, 2010
tile
Michael Johannson elevates organization to the level of true art. Man, is this guy organizized or what?
Jun 21st, 2010
riddly
each generation deals with it’s own ideas, art is not fixed, art is not international- even though the dealers say it is, subtle influences pass to and fro, some people try to imitate commercially successful forms from elsewhere, and some people want it to be a fixed quality so that they will be comfortable with it.
I have always lked the idea that art is what happens when we focus so hard on an activity that we lift it out of the mundane- it goes from ‘making a picture’ to ‘painting’ this case goes from ‘stacking and sorting’ to an extreme spatial understanding combined with humour, obsession, and a depth of contextual understanding that allows the action to take place.
Jul 12th, 2010
donaldo
at least you do not use fromaldhyde ..thank you for that,..very neat just like my older sister would do…
Jul 23rd, 2010
Update Gadget Reviews
Good looking man.
Sep 3rd, 2010
Davy
Original and fascinating!
Sep 11th, 2010
mabee
So cooool!
Oct 20th, 2010
AF
The new cubism.
Nov 4th, 2010
gamer
someone likes tetris.
Dec 8th, 2010
My Name
Ya think any garden variety crack head or OCD nut could conceptualize such intentional color schemes & organize in such a way to make each item visible & visually interesting…? No one is allowed to “define” ART … Art is an open-ended interpretation of your own feelings, thoughts or ideas about someone else’s creativity. Art isn’t even something that isn’t ever necessarily meant to be shared, so who is to say what is or is not Art….if I felt like my pencil broke in a beautiful way & the visual image of that broken pencil was art to me…if a that broken pencil became a gallery show, then a world wide sensation & every hipster wanted a broken pencil on their shirt….when all it ever was, was just a pencil I broke in the process of trying to create “art”….who’s really got a right to say “that’s not art” when in fact, Ive gone out of my way to make it an artful expression….of course it’s not art, it’s a mistake, which stirred an emotion amongst others that we can call “art”….most people who like to comment on who has the right to be called an artist….are not artist themselves, but posers who will never let go of their facade long enough to discover their own true creativity & thus highly opinionated. I realize this comment isn’t exactly intelligent or coherent….but I mean what I say & I say what I mean. And I love this Art….it reminds me of trying to live in San Francisco….with one tiny bedroom closet & one tiny hallway closet…and a bathtub that touches your knees when you sit on the toilet
oh, yeah, and Art cannot be taught, you can’t go to school to learn to be an Artist. “Art School” is a place to learn techniques & skill, if you’re not already an artist, no one can teach you to be one…there are plenty of famous & notable “artist” who have never been taught & don’t give a rats ass about artistic skill & technical ability…they just do what they do…and we eat it up….
Jan 13th, 2011
Robo Tits
Looks like a bunch a junk piled up
May 11th, 2011
Jack
If you’re looking for Boccaccio or Rembrandt, you came to the wrong place. True, it is strange, but the guy does have the ability to work with a theme, color, line and somehow make everything fit. That’s art; art isn’t chapel ceilings and paintings of renaissance businessmen.
Jul 17th, 2011
Daniel Migliore
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Oct 14th, 2011
Bail Bonds Orange County
hehe woa, hands down awesomes post i’ve ever read.
Jun 14th, 2012
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