T.S.1, 2015
Large Format Digital photographs printed on Busmark vinyl
Artists Doug Johnston, Tomoe Matsuoka and Michael Popp teamed up to collaborate on the mural T.S.1. The title can be read as either “temporary settlement” or “temporary situation,” as the artists are interested in exploring notions of nomadism, temporary and wearable architecture, and DIY settlements and lifestyles. The artists see this preoccupation stemming from their experiences living and working in Brooklyn.
Johnston and Matsuoka work together in their studio creating a line of baskets, bags, furniture, lighting, and sculptural works made from rope that is coiled and stitched with sewing machines. The couple started working with photographer Michael Popp in 2011, occasionally photographing the pieces in semi-fantastical scenes to promote their collection of retail goods. These photo sessions have evolved into works of their own, incorporating techniques and equipment used in traditional landscape photography, and further blurring the line between art and commercial work. The most recent collaboration created the fictional landscape of T.S.1. In the scene sewn rope pieces appear as objects, anthropomorphic figures and personal shelters, paired with temporary structures and cart-like objects. These reveal the influence of nomadic cultures as well as the Shakers and other 19th-century utopian communities, known for their utilitarian objects that were beautiful in both form and function.
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