Local artist Jay Johansen blurs the line between realism and abstraction

As a painter, Jay Johansen has mastered both photorealism and complete abstraction, sometimes working in one, sometimes the other. But he also combines the two in stunning portraits that range from celebrated individuals such as Albert Einstein and Marilyn Monroe to figurative and imagined figures, including Johansen’s muse, a beautiful woman who travels the world, often dressed or highlighted in red.

As Johansen says, “For me, the essence of one’s life condition, the physical and spiritual, reveals itself in the face.”

Johansen’s studio is in his home in Rancho Santa Fe, and his vast knowledge and appreciation of art is evident all around, including in his pop fusion series, which builds on classic works by Rembrandt, da Vinci, and Vermeer. In fact, among Johansen’s photorealistic works is a group portrait of Pablo Picasso, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Frida Kahlo, Salvador Dali, and pop artist Andy Warhol, who stands near the center.

Now nearing 80, Johansen grew up in Oakland with his artist father, Melvin Johansen, whose sculptures of wildlife are displayed in galleries and museums throughout the country. But that was not the case in Johansen’s youth. His father struggled to make ends meet, and when it came time, the younger Johansen, who by then had already demonstrated remarkable artistic talent, chose to pursue education, earning a bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley and an MBA from San Francisco State University.

Following graduation, Johansen rose quickly in the insurance industry, opening his own agency at just 26, which allowed him to return to his first love: painting.

One of the first styles Johansen mastered was hyper-photorealism, painting ballerinas, matadors, mimes, and hula dancers, which earned him an international following that led to commissioned works of music icons and world dignitaries.

Last year, Johansen was named one of 12 winners in the 14th annual “Open” Online Art Exhibition, an international competition revered for its celebration of boundary-pushing art.

As his wife, Michelle Smith, an award-winning poet, writes in the book Jay Johansen: Artist of the Year, the honor solidifies Johansen’s “reputation as an artist of profound depth and creativity.”

At this point in his career, Johansen paints whatever motivates him, and he recently began a series of paintings overlooking Lake Como in the Alps, inspired by the architecture and extraordinary colors. But even when working on a series, “something will trigger me,” says Johansen. “I’ll see an image or think of a scene. Or maybe I’ll see something in one of my own paintings.”

It’s those moments that lead to paintings like The Charmer, a mysterious portrait of a man lighting a cigarette outside a bar on a cobblestone street in Europe. The man’s face is not distinct in the evening light, but he is well dressed and his humanity is clear in the folds of his shirt.

At the same time, while The Charmer’s face is left to the imagination, in many of Johansen’s portraits it is only the face that is rendered in detail, while the background is made up of broad, abstract strokes. Johansen refers to a tradition dating back 500 years in which painters have worked to convey on canvas the way in which humans actually see the world. “It is only what you look at directly that is really in focus,” he says.

Whatever the era, Johansen also knows that to become a famous artist requires a bit of luck. “The baseline is simply good art, but there are a lot of good artists who don’t do well financially. I won’t say starving artist, but they are not hitting it out of the park, and I believe some of it has to do with our own culture. There is a lack of appreciation and sophistication when it comes to the arts in our society. Who are some of our lowest paid professionals?” Johansen asks rhetorically. “School teachers. Why would we not value what they do? They shape the future in some ways, and art is the same.”

Highlighting the irony, Johansen notes that his father is now one of the most collected artists represented in the National Museum of Wildlife. In addition to his sculptures, Johansen’s father was the associate curator at the Oakland Museum, where he painted many exhibit backgrounds.

“He was usually working for someone. Some of what I do is just for fun, wanting to see how it turns out, to express some different ideas and experiment with different things, trying to prove that color theory is not perfect and usually failing,” Johansen laughs.

Johansen also enjoys selling his work, which is not true of all artists. “Somebody saying ‘Wow! I love what you’re doing here’ — they just made my day, so I can keep doing what I do. Fame is not important, but I do want my work to be enjoyed and respected,” he says. Johansen’s works are available in galleries in Solana Beach, Carmel, Scottsdale, Sedona, and online. johansenfineart.com