Joseph Justus is a contemporary American artist with a keen interest in the physical and conceptual landscapes.

His fascination with the urban fabric can be traced in his background- architecture. Joseph received his BA in Architecture from University of California, Berkeley and MA from Columbia University, New York and worked for Frank Gehry for nearly a decade. However, as a multidisciplinary artist he is drawn equally to the surface of the human body. 'We see one thing one the surface -skin, buildings- but there are complex currents right under the surface. Joseph's canvases are experiments that act as lenses or x-rays steadily moving in and out of plane. 

The physical aspect of the act of painting is important for the artist. The paintings weave themselves through a composition of marks, voids, and luscious chunks of paint. For Justus, the act of painting is surrounded by adrenaline rush: speed and risk define his work and act as a form of measure of his creativity. 

'In my current work, timing is so important. I can be an impatient artist and tend to be drawn to process which have some calculation with instant results. There needs to be some kind of adrenaline in the painting. It's not just a visual, but also a physical process for me. The constraint of speed and risk is critical. I measure the value of my work in this wager.' - Joseph Justus

If you are interested in learning more about Joseph Justus, we have a little treat for you: watch the video below to listen to what Virginia Damtsa has to say about his practice!