Art That Moves Us: Roston Johnson & Farenheit 451

In this episode of Lattes & Art, we sit down with artist and thinker Roston Johnson for a deep, engaging conversation about the power of inspiration—and how it can shape us in unexpected ways. Roston takes us beyond the traditional art world to explore how Ray Bradbury’s dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451 has influenced his perspective, not just as a creative, but as a person navigating complex societal and cultural landscapes.

Together, we unpack how a single work of art—whether visual, literary, or otherwise—can challenge us to reflect, rethink, and reimagine our place in the world. This episode is a testament to the idea that inspiration isn’t confined to the studio; it can come from the books we read, the stories we hear, and the questions we dare to ask.

Grab a latte, lean in, and get ready for a rich discussion on how art, in all its forms, can spark something profound.

Guest: Roston Johnson
             @RostonLikeBoston
Photo Credit: James Erin de Jauregui
                         @dejauregui

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Transcript

00;00;04;13 - 00;00;30;24
James
Welcome to Lattes & Art, presented by J-Squared Atelier, where creativity brews and inspiration flows. I'm your host, James William Moore, and today we're listening in on a powerful reflection about the art that moves us not just to create, but to think, to question, and to grow. In this episode, we're joined by the ever thoughtful Rostin Johnson, who brings a unique perspective to the idea of artistic influence.

00;00;31;01 - 00;00;56;04
James
We're not just talking about brushstrokes or color palettes today. Instead, Roston shares how Ray Bradbury's classic novel Fahrenheit 451 has shaped the way he views the world, engages with ideas, and navigates both his creative practice and everyday life. This isn't about inspiration in the studio. It's about how a single work of art can ignite a fire in us that resonates far beyond the canvas.

00;00;56;05 - 00;01;06;24
James
So grab your favorite cup of coffee or tea. Settle in and let's explore how literature, art, and life are all intertwined.

00;01;06;26 - 00;01;32;25
Roston
One of the most influential pieces of art that has been a source of inspiration, which was really eye opening to me at the time. It's it's kind of funny because it's, it's, required reading for, I think, a lot of high schools. It's, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. At the time, you know, I, I didn't even read that book in high school.

00;01;32;25 - 00;01;58;12
Roston
I was reading other shit. I was reading, like, the Odyssey, Frankenstein, Moby Dick, Great American and great European literature, which Fahrenheit 451 falls under. But that just never was on my reading list. It was never required reading, but going back as an adult to read this book was pretty eye opening to me because I had had life experiences and I had more context, which really just took hold of my imagination.

00;01;58;12 - 00;02;24;11
Roston
And there was a lot of and as the author puts it in his book, there's a lot of texture in that book, in the written descriptions of events and the places and the people, all of that stuff. And I'm such a visual person that every time I read that book, it really is like a movie playing in my head, which is really a pleasure to be able to do, and is kind of a nice break from all things.

00;02;24;11 - 00;02;55;05
Roston
Visual paintings are interesting because they present the viewer with something to look at that gives rise to the written word and critique, but books do kind of the opposite. They present you with the written word, which then brings, visuals to mind. It's creating a vision in your head based on the words that are on a page, which to me is, just as enjoyable for me.

00;02;55;06 - 00;03;26;04
Roston
The texture is the emotional depth of a work. It's it's feeling. It can be the actual tactile qualities, the feel of it. Is it smooth? Is it rough? Is it slimy? Is a gritty, is it? And that also kind of fuels the imagination too, because we have all sorts of connotations with these written descriptions. Seeing it before your eyes, I think kind of does, move you in certain ways, songs to have that power of texture.

00;03;26;04 - 00;03;49;04
Roston
And, I'll be honest, I've teared up from listening to songs, but that's not something that usually happens or can happen for me. When I look at a piece of art, something visual, maybe a film, definitely a song, but not really from looking at, say, a painting or a drawing. I haven't had that visceral of an effect with 2D artwork.

00;03;49;06 - 00;03;53;25
James
How does Fahrenheit 451 reflect you?

00;03;53;28 - 00;04;19;06
Roston
I related to it right away, because it's about a man who hasn't been exposed to a lot of ideas or old ideas that came long before he was around, and he's living in a place where books and information are not readily available. We're living in this age of information that we can access by our fingertips. People talk to us all the time.

00;04;19;06 - 00;04;41;25
Roston
News and all kinds of media come our way, which I guess to some extent happens in that book, too. I mean, there's like walls of of sound and pictures that get bombarded or that bombard you inside your own house like the walls of the kitchen, come alive and, with characters, you know, and it's just like a constant headache for, for Montag, the protagonist.

00;04;41;25 - 00;05;12;14
Roston
But one passage that really kind of grabbed me was he was trying desperately to understand these ideas because he felt like there was some kind of, I think, emotional depth and texture and value there. That he had never been really exposed to before. The author writes it really beautifully. He makes the comparison to sifting sand through a sieve and trying to catch the sand, but being unable to because it keeps falling through.

00;05;12;16 - 00;05;41;09
Roston
And that's exactly the relationship that Montag has when he's trying to understand all of this information. And from books, there's knowledge there that he knows is worth something, is is worth investing in. And he's having and his whole struggle during the book is, is how to make something stick, trying to access and understand that deeper meaning. And I relate to that because I didn't become a reader until I was an adult.

00;05;41;09 - 00;06;04;09
Roston
I mean, I, I read a little bit and I did required reading when I was in school, but I didn't really understand the emotional depth of that because I didn't have the context for it. So I identify with Montag for that. For that reason, he and I both are struggling to understand these deeper, meaningful things in life based on the information that's presented to us.

00;06;04;09 - 00;06;25;14
Roston
And we're trying to go out of our way to grab hold of that information and to make those connections. Because of my life experiences, I'm able to relate to this a lot more than I would have as a high school student. As a high school student, I would not have been able to grasp that depth because I didn't know shit about shit.

00;06;25;17 - 00;06;46;24
Roston
Honestly. But I do identify with someone who is really trying to make sense of an absurd situation where books are burned instead of being read. I mean, that's that's totally crazy and absurd. And at the same time, you know, this narrative, I mean, it seems to follow all the conventions of, like, what one ought to find in a science fiction book.

00;06;46;24 - 00;07;09;06
Roston
There's like a horrible, tragic death of somebody that happens that seems to happen. And like every sci fi story I've ever, I've ever read or heard or seen, there's things about it that are kind of fantastical, like the whole mythology of firemen used to prevent fires from happening, but now they they're the ones who act as like the police.

00;07;09;06 - 00;07;28;29
Roston
They're going out policing other people and destroying any semblance of, like, real culture or information that people could actually benefit from. You know, it's like the government is is like trying to suppress us and trying to keep us dumb and, you know, not give us any ideas because ideas are what leads to violence and conflict and so on and so forth.

00;07;29;02 - 00;07;32;19
James
Does this work reflecting your own work?

00;07;32;21 - 00;08;01;20
Roston
Yes and no. It's really it's really kind of on its own plane. The potential for ideas that this book holds means a lot to me. It seems to me that this story is very much a coming of age story with an older man, which is kind of interesting. Normally, coming of age is more like Tom Sawyer, like young boys, you know, kind of going through these trials and tribulations to get to a point of revelation or something.

00;08;01;26 - 00;08;25;08
Roston
Some change occurs, right? That makes them maybe a better person or maybe not, but they do grow from those experiences somehow. Montag is interesting because he's already 30 years old, and he's kind of making up for lost time. In a way. He's an adult trying to understand Shakespeare and, you know, all these other writers, all these other thinkers, and he can't grasp it.

00;08;25;08 - 00;08;44;20
Roston
But along the way, he does have these experiences that change him. It does come through his meeting this girl who's educated, this I think she's a 16 year old girl that he meets walking on the street, and that becomes a ritual for him. And then meeting the professor, who was like forced to retire because he was like too smart or something.

00;08;44;20 - 00;09;14;19
Roston
But he ends up being an ally for for Montag, too, and wants to help him. And so each of those interactions, even though he didn't read something, those were valuable relationships that he had, which I think is kind of universal. And I think my work in grad school has been about sort of coming of age, because I am a younger artist, and I think I did have to try things and fail at things and had these experiences that shaped me into the artist that I am currently that I wouldn't have had otherwise.

00;09;14;19 - 00;09;28;18
Roston
So I would say Covid, grad school, different relationships with people that I've had, and this media, which seems to reflect all of those things, have contributed to the work.

00;09;28;21 - 00;09;58;09
James
That's it for my iced Americano and today's episode of Lattes & Art, presented by J-Squared Atelier. A huge thank you to Roston Johnson for sharing such a thoughtful reflection on Fahrenheit 451, and the many ways art can challenge and inspire us not only as artists, but as human beings navigating an ever changing world. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow, rate and share latest in art with fellow creatives and art lovers.

00;09;58;12 - 00;10;15;18
James
And don't forget to follow us on social media for updates, behind the scenes content, and more stories that connect us through art. Until next time, keep creating. Keep questioning and remember the spark of inspiration can come from anywhere. Stay inspired.