Featured Artist Jason Lyons

Artist Jason Lyons uses found objects to create organic sculptures based on forms found in the natural world. See more of his fascinating creations by visiting his website.

 

 

Since I can remember I have always been drawn to the natural world, either through time spent camping and hiking or days spent exploring the local junkyards and scrap piles. I joke that as a child, I was the one watching Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom instead of the local baseball game. At the same time, art—and the creation of it—was also a constant in my life where I preferred mediums which gravitated to 3-dimensional work.

 

 

Today, my inspiration comes from looking at the correlation between the “tools” and objects that have been created for human use and how these items can relate to organic shapes found in the natural world.

 

 

I look for these shapes buried within objects. I then utilize these shapes and reinterpret them into the anatomical structures that make up the organic sculptures I create.

 

 

Honoring the past histories and owners of the objects I use is a large part of what drives the creation of my sculptures. Who worked with a pruning saw to such an extent that it was left with a paint rubbed patina that can never be replicated? Or the child who enjoyed a toy car so that the wheels were literally worn away?

 

 

I can honestly say that not many of the toys I had as a child still exist. Therefore, I feel that by honoring these cherished items that belonged to others gives them new life through reinterpretation in my sculptures.

 

 

In the end, I am creating beauty from mundane everyday objects. Often, my sculptures are born from the inspiration of a single item. Additional materials are then gathered and added, and the vision grows from there.

 

 

As with any medium or vocation, one must always be learning. I believe with that with art, the artist is always evolving. It is human nature to expand one’s consciousness and look for new experiences. In my particular medium, I find that by introducing the use of new and varying materials in each piece—including, but not limited to such items as plastic fly swatters, wooden spoons and old pocket watches—I continually grow as a sculptor, learning new techniques and methods of working with known and unknown materials.

 

 

This leads to the inimitable nature of my work and serves as a natural vehicle for continuous growth and development.

 

 

Through my upbringing and an inherent passion for the discarded object, I have developed a unique perspective and talent to visually dissect, reinterpret and then repurpose the materials found in my sculptures. I look for the potential in every object to be a valuable contributor to the sculptures I create.

 

 

The found object art approach is not new. In fact, it can be traced back centuries as a means for self-expression or a requirement of necessity. However, in this new age of materialism and consumerism, I feel that the last few decades have given the found object medium a new audience and resurgence. My unique combination of skills allows me to bring a perspective to an artistic approach that does not necessarily fall under the standards of fine art, fine craft and or into the usual art curriculums, breaking expected molds and forging new ones.

 

Artist Jason Lyons invites you to follow him on Facebook and Instagram.

 

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