Justin Kauffmann aka JustinK

Justin Kauffmann aka JustinK (pronounced Just-Ink) was born and raised in Goshen, Indiana. Inspired by his father, creator of the syndicated cartoon strip Pontius' Puddle, Justin decided to pursue an art career and attended the Ringling College of Art & Design in Sarasota, Florida. After graduating in 1997, he moved to New York City where he developed his style and starting showing his work in galleries, bars, restaurants, friends' loft apartments or anywhere else they would let him hang his paintings. Now living in Chicago, JustinK's urban-inspired work has appeared in galleries worldwide, numerous magazines, books (including David Carson's "Trek"), merchandise for a Quiksilver pro surfing event and a line of limited edition snowboards and skis for Head.

"JustinK uses loud primary colors to conjure a cryptic urban ethos in which you can see the buildings, but you don't know what's in them; you know these people are humanoids, but not whether they see you; you can tell the marks are a kind of writing, but you can't decipher it. Painted figures are defaced with large print numbers whose significance is impossible to determine; inscrutable digits are all over JustinK's work. As they become obsolete, expired, or broken, industrial products (and personal identities - in short, anything constructed) are transformed: what was once specific and necessary information (serial numbers, ad copy, logo's) becomes arbitrary, useless, and inscrutable. Then we live with it." - NY Arts Magazine (2002)