Justin Breitzke

Artist Statement:

I am Justin Breitzke and have been an artist all my life although I’m not sure that I’m  comfortable calling myself an artist. I’ve always needed some sort of creative outlet. While in  school I tried out every medium and class that was available to me, but nothing stuck. So until  recently my creative outlet has been carpentry. From historical restoration, to high end  remodels, to cabinet making, to building furniture and doors. I have always focused on the  functional for my creative impulses because it made sense to me. All my years of experience  learning to manipulate materials and acquiring tools have recently started to dictate the  direction of my art. 

While recovering from a back injury I needed a creative outlet as well as a means to  distract me from the time it was taking for recovery. At first I started painting because it was  accessible. I built canvases from old drop cloths and cabinet door material I had at the shop. I  painted with remnants of house paint I had accumulated over the years. The painting kept me  content at first but it was missing something. I had the urge to build, to construct. So I  switched to a constructive method of mixed media where I used wood from pallets, canvas  from old drop cloths, thread for sewing, and some more of the house paint to finish it off. This  is my “Stitched Canvas Series”. It gives me a constructive outlet, it keeps me occupied and  focused, but most of all I think it helps me mentally. I think that stitching all those parts  together has in some way made me feel like I was physically working toward fixing myself. 

Recently I have started to explore a new series that utilizes a process I learned back in high school where we would use cord to stretch silk screens. I have been using a modified version of that process to attach canvas to wood in geometric and grid patterns. I think it is the  next step for me to keep integrating my knowledge of materials and tools into my art. 

I make art and objects because I have an insatiable need to create. What I focus on has been changing rapidly as I try to find the voice within my work. Sometimes it's screaming at me and other times it is barely a whisper. Although the intentions make sense to me, I have found it difficult to portray those intentions with words. At first my work was there to quiet my mind and pass the time. Then I had the need to share my work with others. Now it’s the desire to continue on. Please join me on this journey.