David Johnson and Patrick Cant

Roll Up Project is pleased to present paintings by David Johnson and Patrick Cant. Johnson and Cant met in the newsroom of the Bay Area News Group several years ago. Johnson specialized in pasteups, then editorial and info graphics as technology changed. Cant works a wire editor in the same office, and the two bonded over a shared interest in art. Cant primarily paints in acrylic using screenprinting and stencil techniques, and finds inspiration in 1960s pop art and street art. Johnson has a background in illustration and for many years he worked primarily in watercolors. His recent mixed media work incorporates found objects and ephemera, and uses stylistic elements from 19^th and 20^th century artistic movements.

In 2020, Johnson and Cant saw an unpublished photograph taken by photojournalist José C. Fajardo, a colleague at the Bay Area News Group. Fajardo has worked with firefighters for years, thoughtfully documenting their stories in dangerous conditions. With his blessing, Johnson and Cant used his photograph as inspiration for the large-scale painting, Alder Conservation Camp Inmate Hand Crew Fighting the Glass Fire (2021), which is displayed in the Harrison Street window. Their collaboration unites their different painting styles into a composition that honors the labor of firefighters, support teams, and journalists.

Johnson and Cant said they chose this photograph because the firefighters’ poses reminded them of historical paintings, suggesting deeper narratives and activity beyond the borders of the canvas. In this composition, two men in the foreground face each other with their heads bowed, listening intently to a radio for news. A white fire hose snakes around the trees and into the center of the painting, showing the rough terrain of the wooded area. Firefighters raise their arms, pointing the viewer’s eye to the top right corner, where Johnson and Cant painted Fajardo into the scene. While he is usually behind the camera lens and therefore unseen in documentary photographs, here he is included as a part of the team. The firefighters’ faces are only generally outlined, allowing viewers to see themselves reflected within the work. The painting is dedicated to inmate fire crews of Alder Conservation Camp CC20, the CDCR, CalFire, and to all firefighters, and will be installed at the Alder Conservation Camp in early 2025.

Studies for the mural are installed in the windows on Third Street. They feature portraits of Fajardo in his fire suit, kneeling to take a shot with his camera.  Johnson and Cant also included Dedication (2021), which highlights the many groups that work together to put out wildfires. Cant’s Tribute Tower Special 3 (2021) is a tribute to the Oakland landmark and the news staff that contributed to the paper over the years.

About the Artists

David Johnson is a graphic designer and painter based in Berkeley. He studied painting, printmaking, and illustration at the Academy of Art (1974-75) and CSU Fullerton (1976-77). He worked at the Contra Costa Times (now East Bay Times) for many years doing layout, design, visual data-journalism, and illustration. He also designs books. His artwork has been exhibited at the Barbara Anderson Gallery, the Laguna Beach Art Museum, and the Civic Arts Gallery in Walnut Creek, among others.

Learn more about David Johnson’s work on Instagram at @return_to_berlin.

Patrick Cant is a journalist and artist based in Oakland. He holds a BA in communications/print journalism from Seattle University. He has worked at the Bay Area News Group for several years, and is currently the wire editor. His mixed media paintings incorporate elements of street art and pop art. He is deeply rooted in the city, but also paints at his studio in Sonoma.

Learn more about Patrick Cant’s work here or on Instagram at @pcant.