A Cowboy Gets To Work Painting

Justin Lyons credits his introduction into the world of “street art” as the spark that led him to pursue his own form of artistic expression. Nearly a decade ago and after moving to the Gulf Coast of Northwest Florida from the Orlando area, Justin was invited by a friend to go “wheatpasting” one night. (Wheatpasting is basically a form of street art where you paste paper images, drawings, etc...to things like walls, signs or power boxes in public.) As Justin describes it, “Something happened to me that night. Something that has had one of the most impactful influences on my life. What I found out was that people who saw our stuff on the streets were confused, shocked, excited, even mad sometimes. It was then that I realized art didn't have to be limited to museums or to the stark-white walls of galleries. I discovered that art could also find its way into the urban landscape and still be powerful.” Producing art that was raw, expressive, loose, and risky, provided Justin an outlet for his creative impulses. With this new voice, Justin began painting on found pieces of wood, which he would then hang around town by nailing them to trees, telephone poles,and basically anywhere people would see them. Justin and his collaborator were just a couple of guys in their late 20’s, having fun, and trying to rekindle that youthful feeling of freedom. Yet, even then, Justin’s art was given special notice in that it often begged a question, or offered a message. Passersby would take down his paintings, and while some were certainly trashed and destroyed, other pieces found their way onto the walls businesses and homes. Over the next several years, Justin started to take his art production more seriously. Inspired by the lives and work of Cy Twombly, Barry McGee, and Jean-Michel Basquiat, Justin refined his process and worked to develop a style all his own which is both thought- provoked and thought- provoking. This maturation allowed Justin the foundation he needed to expand his audience beyond the streets. He built camaraderie with other local and regional artists and began submitting pieces to exhibitions, festivals, and galleries. Continuing recognition and appreciation for his work solidified Justin’s status within the art community of Northwest Florida. By 2012, Justin’s art had been celebrated and awarded in venues and exhibitions beyond the urban landscape.