Out: sex; In: culture

IN between gigs creating illustrated children’s books and working as an art director and character designer for animation studios such as Disney and Nickelodeon, Brandon Ragnar Johnson has managed to fashion a name for himself as an illustrator producing sleek and sexy pinups and posters. So when his solo show “Lexiconic” opens Saturday at Sherman Oaks’ Van Eaton Galleries, casual fans of his work might be in for quite a surprise.

Gone are the familiar retro-modern designs featuring femmes fatales draped on chaise longues, and in their place is an exploration of American culture in all its unwashed glory. In addition to 10 original drawings and 10 paintings highlighting the decorative icons that permeate Johnson’s work and inspired the show’s title, “Lexiconic” also includes seven digital prints that span 2 feet tall by 6 feet wide and feature a kaleidoscope of caricatures from all walks of life.

“I know what a big chunk of my audience expects, and it’s hard to say, ‘Hold on, I’m coming back to this stuff, but right now I need to do this,’ ” the 39-year-old Costa Mesa-based artist says. “Some people are really appreciative of this new phase of my work, ‘You do what you need to do,’ while others are, ... ‘Where are the [breasts]?’ ”

FOR Johnson (or Ragnar, as he’s known within the artistic community), the solo show also represents the culmination of a yearlong break from animation, in which he worked for the last eight years.

“I was getting really burned out doing animation development -- specifically, working on shows that didn’t make it into production,” he says. “Taking time off from animation also gave me the opportunity to have 100% control over what I did all day, every day.” (That said, Johnson could find himself back at an animation table this summer as one of his children’s books, “Izzy’s Very Important Job,” may be heading into production as a prime-time animated special.)

Regarding his huge digital prints, Johnson is quick to note that it’s not satire, “it’s not ‘Look at these ugly people,’ but rather it’s an opportunity to celebrate something I truly envy.

“As an example, there’s this guy who got out of his car next to me the other day who must have been in his 50s, wearing hot pants, knee socks and he was mostly bald except he had this ponytail that was dyed, and I thought, ‘What a freak,’ ” he says. “And then I thought, ‘How awesome is that? He doesn’t care what I think.’ A lot of people like that had an impact on me when I was growing up, and now it’s a group of people I want to explore with my art.”

weekend@latimes.com

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‘Lexiconic’

Where: Van Eaton Galleries, 13613 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks

When: Opening reception, 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday. Regular hours, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays

Ends: June 2

Info: (818) 788-2357, www.vegalleries.com