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Griffin Johnson

Seals and sea lions are my favorite animals. They have been since I went to a summer camp all about ocean conservation and pinniped rehabilitation. My research was focused on their communal habits, and relating that to my own experiences. I think there is a lot to learn from the simple behaviors of the animal world, since we humans are just as much a part of it as the sea lions. I wanted to tap into my past, since I felt I had neglected to do that in previous projects, and I am proud to be sharing these parts of myself with a wider audience. To continue my practice of building digital worlds, I wanted to do just that with this series of four panels, each relating to a different aspect of my past from a sea lion's perspective. I hope that the audience can sense some relatability in seeking comfort from past traumas through a nonhuman or abstract outlet.

About the Artist

I have never been much of an audio-based person. Even as a kid, my selective hearing was my secret weapon against unwanted lectures or uninteresting gossip. It has always been difficult for me to communicate like other kids. I was the odd one out. These struggles were pushed to the back of my mind and usually chalked up as a side effect of the intense anxiety I was dealing with growing up. Over the years, I have gained a grasp on my anxiety, but I feel as if it has only been harder to build connections in recent years. I wanted to explore these feelings with my series, and the only way I could tackle the concept of communication was to connect it to something nonhuman. I chose to focus my research on the social behaviors of sea lions and use this to express aspects of community and connection by using digital platforms and experimenting with shape and color; taking inspiration from classic, informational posters that display different species of a family of animalia. I wanted each of the four panels to represent an aspect of connection that I have struggled with. “Slow Dance” is a piece of two sea lions partaking in a playful yet intimate dance. Romantic relationships were never appealing to me as a kid, and it wasn’t until my twenties that I started to date seriously. “Peeking” shows two sea lions poking their heads out of the ocean. This idea reminded me of when I would sneak around the house, check around corners, and try to stay silent, so I wouldn’t have to interact with my parents. “Bait Ball” features sea lions herding together fish for group feeding. For most of my life, I have struggled with eating in public. It is still something I am extremely conscious of and have to put in constant work towards. And lastly, “Reflection” shows a solo sea lion staring right at the viewer. Self-reflection is the only way I would have been aware of my lack of natural connection to others. This realization is what now motivates me to work on my communication skills and enjoy the happiness community brings me. I have changed a lot since I was a kid, but my hatred of audio-only sources sticks with me. I am now proud to say that I use subtitles for everything I watch on TV, and that I absolutely despise audiobooks. I used to think that verbal outlets were the only options to process and accept emotions, and I became frustrated that it seemed so easy for everyone else. Now I know that my way of communicating is a visual process, and I have learned to love that about myself. In a way, these panels are a look into my visual thoughts.