Justin Henry Miller
JHM is a painter with a very distinct style, one subset of his work is paintings on vintage photographs: Practical effects photo manipulation.
| ARTIST STATEMENT: | |
The images in my work are derived from a synthesis of influences including: science fiction, anatomical illustration, cartoons, controversial trends in science, general themes in nature, and personal experiences.
Growing up on a horse farm I witnessed first-hand, man’s conscious manipulation of nature. Selective breeding and the factory-like production of an annual crop of new animals was the norm. Seeing my father perform artificial inseminations, ultrasounds, and inoculations on this livestock proved to have a lasting impact. I have become increasingly interested in the closing gap between, science fiction and science-fact. Cloning, transgenic breeding, surrogate mothering, surgical augmentation and food modification are just a handful of supposed advances that have sparked my imagination. I approach my work imaging the experiments that have gone awry and try to create a world where the byproducts resist expiration. The juxtaposition of organic forms with sustaining mechanical devices suggests man’s imposition. This relationship also creates an ambiguity between coexistence, infliction, and dependence. Also important to note, is my consistent use of a synthetic, “candy-land” palette employed to seduce viewers into this uncanny world. The results are images of biomorphic beings, fluctuating between success and failure in their own pastel world of desolation. My new exhibition, "The Fallout Kingdom," creates this parallel world, providing a glimpse into the aftermath of our own planet’s seemingly inevitable demise. Despite this vanitas, the characters in my paintings display a whimsical resiliency, as they salvage the leftovers and reclaim the detritus to carve out a new candy-coated existence. |
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