ROY presents: Jon Duff and Jovanni Luna
Discombobulated
Jon Duff
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My work belongs in a combined genre of science fiction and comedy, and reflects our present condition of abundance and disorder. I poke fun at the human experience through sculpture, painting and digital prints which express a disorderliness that is both humorous and apocalyptic. In the tradition of science fiction and cosmic horror, I am considering the limits of our perception and understanding while offering an uncommon glimpse into the personal and psychological strains beneath the morass of the modern day to day. The best cosmic horror often attempts to describe things we can barely imagine and often resembles a jumbled soup of words or images that don’t always comply with our understanding. I do the same with unexpected and surreal forms intertwined with recognizable objects in my work. The subject matter in my work is a combination of personal imagery and images found on the internet, most of which are sourced from Amazon product pages. I combine personal and consumerist experiences together to create a surrealist realm that describes current psychological experiences and communicates a humorous cynicism of our anthropocentric perspective.
ROY Asks
What is your name and preferred pronouns?
Jon Duff He / Him / His
How has art (whether it be your own or art in general) changed you?
Art has empowered me to be myself and express whatever that might look like for better or for worse.
How did you start your artistic practice?
With a chip on my shoulder and a desire to have some effect on the world.
When a first-time viewer sees your work, what is the first word that you hope they think when looking at it?
“Christ!”
Jovanni Luna
The current series of paintskin* sculptures, “rhythmic gatherings” is a reflection of the past two years. Having a sense of stability only to have things fall apart, and the work towards regaining control of it all again. Understanding that we can’t control everything, but making things work with what we have and enjoying all the new discoveries that occur through the entire process.
*A paintskin, constructed out of latex paint, is in a constant state of transformation from its initial state of liquid to solid. it gradually evolves through repetitive actions of layering, cutting and rolling the paint. this laborious process of working becomes hidden with each additional layer of material, obscuring the actions before it, allowing only subtle cues to be seen in the end: hints of color, gentle textures, subtle brushstrokes.
ROY Asks
What is your name and preferred pronouns?
Jovanni Luna he/him
How has art (whether it be your own or art in general) changed you?
It has helped become creative and efficient with problem solving with limited resources.
How did you start your artistic practice?
Printmaking allowed me to understand and enjoy the process in making art work, which
has become a focus of my paintskin sculptures.
When a first-time viewer sees your work, what is the first word that you hope they think when looking at it?
“Paintskins!”