JUSTIN BOWER EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
“I wanted to introduce a redemptive quality to the paintings, asking if science is the new religion, if so what are we looking upwards towards…is there a different kind of redemption/salvation today?”
Your art captivatingly mirrors the instability of our world, reflecting a reality where technology increasingly infringes upon our human existence. Could you share the message you aim to convey through your evocative work?
My work is foremost about the destabilization of the contemporary subject in an increasing control society, and often I use the digital realm and/or an optical jarring environment to place them in. I also show that our sense of agency, that is "free will", is something of an illusion. I want my subjects to act as "weak operators" in an increasingly alien world.
It’s almost an ontological build up from scratch, building a new idea of who we are. So from that vantage point, I paint the current status or crisis of humanity today, and in doing so I am participating in an age old practice in paint. The digital is just a new context or environment to be studied. I feel as though I am carrying on a dialogue of paint and humanity that have existed since the dawning of paint itself.
Women often form the central theme in your oeuvre. Could you tell us why you choose femininity as the canvas for your creativity, and what elements spark your inspiration to create?
In the beginning I used only random subjects found on the web, and they weren't all female. In fact I wanted to cleave in between the binary of gender so I had used an androgynous subject. Many of my ideas have to do with the liminality of our condition, of our definition of who we are. Now I use anything that sparks an interest in me. For instance, in one series of works, I wanted a genuflecting subject looking to the skies to God. Based off of the Renaissance paintings of Mary looking upwards, and El Greco did many of these types of paintings also. I wanted to introduce a redemptive quality to the paintings, asking if science is the new religion, if so what are we looking upwards towards…is there a different kind of redemption/salvation today?
There is an inimitable complexity in your artistic style, setting you apart from the crowd. Could you enlighten us about the mediums you prefer and your typical artistic journey for each creation?
I use oil paint mostly, and occasionally acrylic for backgrounds or Op Art style patterns. I start with a subject and then manipulate the image in Photoshop, using it as a digital sketchbook you could say. Then its all about the studio and what happens in it.
You have pursued art academically before embarking on this creative career. Would you mind delving a little into your artistic journey?
I went to undergrad to play football, but the art classes went into practice, so I had to make a decision. I quit football and graduated in art and philosophy, then moved to a nascent Santa Ana art colony. I worked on my craft for several years, but then I was stabbed by some street toughs. I made a decision to go to Graduate school at Claremont, after which I had my first solo show at the infamous ACE gallery. I now show with Unix Gallery NYC/Miami/Houston.
Are there any artists who have significantly influenced your work? Have you had the opportunity to collaborate with other creatives in your field?
My inspirations are first and foremost from Leonardo, his muscle tissue work and cadaver inspections are something that changed my life. My serious ideas all came from comic books though. From there the irreverent pictures of Rembrandt and the ultra-baroque style of Bernini to the awkward stylings of Piccabia…to the obvious big boys of Picasso, Bacon and more recently Glen Brown, Gehard Richter, Adrian Ghenie, and Daniel Richter, Albert Ohlen, Sigmar Polke.