obscured by diversion

I didn’t have the opportunity to interview this artist face to face so I asked him for some words via email.. Below are his words ,images, and music; listen, read, be enlightened.

On the Artist:

Justin Hopkins grew up in a creative environment. Both of his parents found success as artists. His mother, Jan Hopkins, is a renowned organic sculptor who is showcased in galleries and museums around the world. Justin’s father, Chris Hopkins, is a well known illustrator who’s been in the business for 30 years. Both parents served as artistic mentors and instructors. Justin has been illustrating and composing music for himself and others since childhood.

On the Work

In more recent works Justin has found inspiration in the writings of Lewis Carroll, Japanese calligraphy, as well as traditional mayan line-work.

Its a study on the the convergence and interconnectivity of things. Different harmonies and rhythms woven into patterns that are pieces of a whole and distinguished by the counter patterns created in the negative space that are just as meaningful as the “lines of color”… An interpretation of John and Alice Coltrane’s interpretation of INFINITY. Layered misinterpretation leads to a manifestation of personal truth… or are they just diversions?… could be…what isn’t?

My thoughts:

When I met Justin I had no idea he was an artist of any sort. I thought he was a cool guy but that changed when I stumbled upon some “doodles” of his. I basically stole the first two and pressured him relentlessly for the third. It brings me to the point of interpretation: each of the works below looks like something different  but Justin claims he had no intended picture when he created them. So the questions begs, “Who decides what something is?” Some people say that only the artist can determine what they have created. Others say that the artist releases the work for the world to interpret.  What do you see? Here you are world.. Justin Hopkins.