Justin Mortimer (b.1970) is a British artist whose paintings consistently invite us to question the relationship between subject matter and content, beauty and horror, and between figuration and abstraction. While the imagery is almost exclusively pitiless, the texturing of the paint, the play between light and shade, and the passages that lead from photo-realist definition to near-abstract formlessness are so sensitively handled as to make the work at least partially redemptive as well as to indicate a key philosophical dimension: the oblique relationship between evidence and interpretation. In his recent solo show, his works create paradoxical beauty in the landscape of oppression and violence around the world. With the Covid-19 pandemic and the escalating racial conflict, Justin Mortimer's solo exhibition sets the stage for reflection on the 'tomorrow' of our society. Topics Discussed In This Episode: Welcoming the idea of things breaking down Feeling separated from society Art being a survival technique The human body as a fractured and dismorphed structure Childhood experiences overflowing into Justin’s artistic work Justin’s interest in the body The concept of latex, and how it relates to the individual The loss of imagination within art Reimagining with digital artwork Constant observation qualities within art Retaining a mystery within the work you produce Empathy and how it relates to Covid-19 Justin’s recent solo show, “Tomorrow” Technology and how it affects the way we deal with stress and anxiety Inspiration Portraits www.artistdecoded.com