Overview

My practice investigates the complex and interwoven forces of Compassion, Desire, Fear, and Passion, and how these emotions shape the behaviors of sentient beings—particularly human beings. I work across a wide range of creative disciplines, continuously seeking new methods for cultivating personal mindfulness and expanding my artistic vocabulary.

At the core of my work is a careful balance between Materiality—the intentional use of materials and processes—and conceptual innovation. I aim to create work that provokes deep, unbounded reflection and invites the possibility of philosophical or emotional transcendence.

My creative approach draws significant influence from Dada, Expressionist, and Surrealist traditions, embracing their spirit of disruption, emotional intensity, and exploration of the unconscious. Through this lens, I aspire to make art that resonates beyond the visual—art that challenges, moves, and connects.

I publicly identify as a Neo-Degenerate Multidisciplinary Artist—it’s a concept I embrace in tribute to the artists vilified as “degenerate” by the Nazi regime. Many of those artists, whose work has profoundly shaped the course of modern art, remain enduring sources of inspiration for me. While I readily acknowledge the painful and deeply troubling historical context of that era, my use of the term is intended as both homage and resistance: a declaration of independence from aesthetic conformity and market-driven expectations, and a commitment to creative authenticity regardless of personal cost.

 

Personal Perspectives on the Creative Process

I reject the growing pressure placed on emerging artists to establish a predictable “style” or marketable “brand” before engaging in true personal exploration. This demand runs counter to the very essence of the creative process, which thrives on experimentation, risk, and authenticity. Reducing art to a product designed primarily for market consumption diminishes its potential for genuine innovation and emotional truth.

My work is deeply rooted in a lifetime of complex and often harrowing experiences. I’ve lived through severe poverty, cultural and familial dysfunction shaped by racism and bigotry, gang violence, classified work within the intelligence community, and the challenges of caring for a spouse with a serious mental illness. These realities inform every aspect of my creative voice. To confine my art to something instantly recognizable or commercially palatable would be a disservice—not only to myself, but to the profound forces that have shaped my perspective.

The art I create is sincere, spiritually grounded, and drawn from sixty-five years of navigating the harsh and beautiful realities of human existence. I do not create work to appease trends or gratify superficial appetites. My practice is a form of reverence—for the creative process, for the life I’ve lived, and for the unseen dimensions that guide my work.

Whether or not my work gains widespread recognition is secondary to the integrity with which it is made. Those willing to engage with its depth may discover something rare and resonant. For those who are not, that path simply isn’t theirs to take.

 

©2025 JP Colin Design