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Inside the Mind of Johanna Jaskowska
27 de April de 2022
“Nath! This will go viral!”
Johanna Jaskowska grew up with a computer and a Dreamcast. This self-proclaimed nerd fell in love with videogames and she used to take advantage of her internet skills and hacking capabilities in order to download and test as many games as she could get her hands on. Knowing about her passion for technology and her studies on Fine Arts, it wouldn’t have been hard to know which path she would take in life — but no one could have imagined how far she was going to get: One of the most viral digital artists in the world.
Johanna graduated in Fine Arts in Paris and the way she focused her creativity on the digital world was already evident in those early stages, when she would create art using Vjing and video mapping. As it is the case for many digital artists, she took her first professional steps in an advertising company. It was in Berlin where Johanna started to experiment with the concept of virality, with the development of a 3D website turned into a submarine universe. However, it would take some time for her to rise to global fame.
“Nath! This will go viral!” Those were the words that Johanna said to her sister right after she finished the first ever viral filter. In 2019, while the world of filters was all about dog or bunny ears or cat whiskers, Johanna took it to the next level. Her futurist filter, Beauty3000, captivated the whole world, catching the attention of some of the most famous celebrities in the world, such as the Kardashian-Jenner. From that moment on, everything changed, both for the filter industry —where a new field of work was born for brands and artists— and for Johanna, who went from having a few thousand followers to having more than half a million with whom to share her creations.
Since then, Johanna has been working with innovative and futuristic ideas for brands and renowned artists like Billie Eilish, J Balvin, FarFetch, Armani, Givenchy Beauty, Valentino Beauty, Mercedes-Benz, Nike and many more.
However, there’s no doubt that there was another one of Johanna’s creations that broke with the status quo and laid new foundations: the co-conception of the first ever digital piece of haute couture, sold in the form of Blockchain for 9,500$.
When it comes to thinking outside the box, Johanna has a lot to teach us. So we thought it would be amazing to have this digital experience artist over for an exclusive interview.
How would you label your work?
This is a complicated question… Something between interactive and performative art — because, in the end, the work of art doesn’t exist without the users. I think that what makes augmented reality so unique is that the final result is not exclusively contemplative or passive, like a physical painting is, but rather a true collaborative experience with the users. In some way, it’s like creating a new genre of artistic performance/experience in which the user acts and becomes the focus, not the effect — without them, it all ceases to exist.
Where do your ideas come from?
Most of my ideas come from random places, from life in general, from arguments, from random things I see. Sometimes I have very good ideas when I’m in the toilet or in the shower. But, in the end, most final ideas come from the creative process. I’m always experimenting, trying out different things and joining different dots. The more I experiment and entertain myself with technologies, the more ideas come to me. It’s a never ending playground and I have so much fun getting lost in it.
Have you ever experienced a creative block?
Of course! Many times. There are times when things don’t necessarily come to you when you try too hard. I think it’s important to take some time, rest your mind, do something else and come back to it later. It’s also important to improvise. And sometimes it’s alright to change direction.
What’s your day to day like in the studio?
It depends on the day. Generally, in the morning I get in touch with the people I work with, see if we have any meetings, commitments, tasks… After that, I take it one project at a time. It’s hard for me to concentrate if I’m doing many things at a time. When I concentrate on my work, I’m usually so focused that I feel like I’m inside my own bubble, with an angry face, and I can’t do anything else. But I’m not actually angry! Haha!
Could you give us some advice on creativity?
Experiment! Don’t be afraid of trying different things. Do whatever you want to and you feel like doing. There’s no right way of doing it. There’s no right way of learning. There’s no right way of creating. Ideally, you will develop your own method. You can find inspiration everywhere and in anyone.
For example, I’ve always thought that I should have learned programming in a more academic way but, ultimately, I have a solid foundation. The way I deal with my learning experiences is through online resources, online projects, sticking my nose and finding out how it works, breaking it into little parts, from the inside. It’s a very messy way of learning, but it’s my way. And, even though it's messy from the point of view of a developer, it led me to discover things I would have never discovered through a strictly academic way.
Article written in collaboration with: Johanna Jaskowska, @johwska