Todd Johnson

Todd Johnson

Above all, I consider pipemaking an act of creation. Each block is replete with possibilities and the artisan must coax this potential from his medium, giving it life. I strive to imbue my work with a sense of movement and purpose beyond it's use as a "tool."

Yes, a pipe must be properly and precisely engineered, but I don not concede form should follow function. Rather the two should be fiercely intertwined and viewed singularly as a composition, as apparent in a Billiard as in a Ballerina. My work draws mainly on the traditions of danish-modernism, but it is inspired by everything from Italian automotive design to ancient Japanese weaponry and armor.