Of These We Are Made

 

Justin Deister, Colorado

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I enjoy exploring the formal qualities of size and shape, as well as sign and symbolism, color, meaning and context, but also expressing social and religious matters that are meaningful to me.    
I am always experimenting with new materials and process. I may have a firm idea in mind but I’ve I like the freedom to make final decisions as I add-to and cut-away. I allow content to inform me of the shape it needs. I guess that means I design it but with a lot of intuitive help. My approach may be somewhat like a painter - gradually evolving the image, with trial and a lot of error, but eventually arriving at a point I accept. I hold back from explaining everything, leaving mystery in and leaving some things out for the viewer to complete.  In addition to large public art, I create smaller mixed-media pieces that I call “Lost Souls” made from discarded junk that live again, telling a new story - again, each viewer contributes a final interpretation.
I find inspiration in the veins of a leaf, the workings of a bank vault clock and literary works of Victor Hugo. I appreciate the elegance of Brancusi, the raw spiritual power of Rodin, the reductive form of Modigliani, and the decorative fun of Steampunk.

I believe we give glory to the one who made us by searching for meaning and purpose, by responding to life experiences through creative expression. As an artist, I become a kind of co-creator and share the purpose of art - to express, develop relationships, bridge culture, time and distance and generate meaningful connections.

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"Of These We Are Made" is actually number 1 in the creation series. In this piece I introduce geometric and robust forms that relate one to the others. Here I suggest that we are made of stardust from the heavens above that is not bound but includes all from Alpha to Omega- a very subtle star constellation to be found in the panoramic chart of the heavens.

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