For nearly two decades Tom M Johnson has been commissioned by a variety of journals to photograph the most established and provocative artists, performers, and intellectuals inhabiting Los Angeles, such as Frank Gehry, Tom Ford, Bill Maher, and Jared Diamond. However, it was 9/11 and its aftermath that compelled him to delve deeper into subject matter and to tune his focus upon long-term concepts. Tom’s first project, “Lakewood” returned him to the streets and neighborhoods of the suburb where he was raised in search of visuals and memories of his boyhood. His next endeavor brought him back to where he lived and romanced as a young man, Paris, the city that awakened his senses, and inspired him to become a photographer. There, he rode the Paris metro to each of its 29 ends to photograph a different part of Paris, one unseen by most Americans as well as his Parisian friends. Tom now lives in Lakewood with his wife and cat and is in the process of working on a book of his Lakewood photographs.
