Erik Johnson's penchant for surrealism and the environment is evident throughout his collection of photographs. His digitally manipulated photographs reflect more than just a an academic interest in surrealism. Johansson appears to be taking inspiration from Rene Magritte and MC Escher. He often resorts to the M.C. Escher's surrealist optical tricks of illusion and perspective. However in this photo shopped image "Falling Asleep"(2018) M.C. Escher's influence is missing.
"Falling Asleep" interested me more than the other images in Johansson's collection of collaged photos because of his treatment of the girls bedroom. The digitally collaged photo "Falling Asleep" employs the idea of a floating girl slightly tilted as is her bedroom. The effect is to produce a bit of vertigo in those viewers who are sensitive to motion. This images appears to bear association to Magritte's paintings "Time Trans fixed", "Difficult Crossing", and The human condition". Like the impressionist landscape painters of the 19th century Johansson relies on the environment to help convey a dreamlike atmosphere in his "Falling Asleep" photo collage. While M.C. Escher's influence is lacking in "Falling Asleep" Escher's spirit is clearly seen in Johansson's photo college titled "Follow the path". This image presents a never ending maze similar to M.C. Escher's "Relativity" maze
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