The Great Livingroom Johnston

a hi-de-ho miracle man

by Dominic Wagner
photography by Ryan Kobane

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 There is an epoch in American history known simply as “Hard Times”. It was explored thoroughly by Richard Pryor’s comedic genius with his character Mud Bone who spoke about a period that had no numerical date, no start and no conclusion but was consistently difficult for folks struggling with the day to day grind of making an honest living. “Hard Times” is an ongoing phenomenon that continues to surface throughout human history. Put simply, as a people we are either in them or we are not. Amongst the modern chatter of depressing economic forecasts, the crescendo of mounting debts against the silence of the job market and the departure of icons, one cannot help but to reassessing the value of one of our culture’s manifestations—the American artist. This country’s artists are the B-side to the ever spinning analytic left-brain and thus a critical component in any honest assessment of our true value. Just as the artists of the past explored the dark times with the light of creation, so to do contemporary artists explore the shadows of tomorrow.