Damon Johnson was raised on a steady diet of comics and skateboarding. He drew pictures inspired by the imagery of superheros and skaters. A need for self expression led Johnson to write graffiti which evolved into his unique mural style. By the time he graduated high school he was doing commissioned murals. Johnson pursued a career as a professional artist graduating from New York University in 2000 with BA in Fine Arts. Damon showed his work at bars, clubs and alternative spaces throughout the Lower East Side and East Village. He also created street art with found materials which he called "wood boards" as the term street art had yet to be coined. Johnson bolted his wooden canvases to street poles and parking signs where they were most visible and least likely to be removed.Johnson’s work has been described as urban surrealism; a melting pot of influences and art movements. His work combines pop culture references to graffiti, comics, tattoo art and skate graphics with traditional art movements including abstract expressionism, neo-expressionism, op-art and surrealism.
Damon experimented with many mediums. He painted on anything he found that he deemed suitable including an entire door complete with handle and hinges discarded in the streets of Brooklyn. Johnson partied and painted his way through New York nightlife. He continued his mural work by painting the interiors of nightclubs including Quo, Pink Elephant, NA, Plumm, Eleven, Go-Go, Retox, and Webster Hall. This summer he completed murals for The Surf Lodge in Montauk, the U.S. OPEN and the SoHo storefront of Design Within Reach.
His work is in the permanent collection of the Patterson, Hamilton, and Chelsea Art Museum.