Daniel Johnston combines his interest in architecture, engineering, installation art and various traditions of making pottery to create works that control space and environment. By changing the way people interact with the pots by altering light, position and how the pots exist in the spaces he creates, he intends to evoke emotion, and feed the viewer enough information so they might take a journey. He speaks of activating the mind in order to create a fuller experience, rather than allowing viewers to make assumptions or approach the work with preconceived notions. His installations often use visual metaphors as an emotional backdrop for the installations. Johnston also notes that his response as an artist is to think about what he does and what it means and to create something that transcends knowledge, which he then communicates to other people.