The Artwork of Joshua Luther
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portfolio
Obstructed Self Portraits
These represent two self portraits. One in the subjective state the other in the objective state.
24” x 24” each
digital print and vinyl on wood
Search: LOVE
These are collections of images I downloaded by searching the word Love in the Google search engine. I wanted to get a visual representation of a highly emotional word by using very quantitative means.
2” x 2” each
digital print
Search: HATE
In contrast, this collection of images I downloaded by searching the word Hate in the Google search engine. Upon viewing the two sets of images side by side, one would have trouble distinguishing which image belongs to which meaning.
2” x 2” each
digital print
Measuring the Universe
Much of my work deals with the relationship between the signifier and the signified. One way I do this is by comparing the physical properties of the signifier against its meaning. This example illustrates the convergence of signifier and signified with the word Yardstick measuring thirty-six inches, while, in contrast the broad disconnect of the word Universe measuring thirty-six inches.
12” x 36” each
vinyl and yardsticks
Hidden Messages
These three images each contain contrasting messages. Each message differs vastly in their dialogue and theme i.e. Genesis 1, the big bang theory, and a quote by Nichtze. The text and the background are intentionally displayed in the same color. I wanted to represent information that the eye cannot discern yet still exists in the digital realm.
36” x 36” each
digital print on fabric
Meaning Containers
These blocks was an attempt to create identical objects that contained very different meanings. This work is an example of a series pieces that were measuring the properties of meaning.
12” x 11” x 11” each
concrete and screenprint
Photographs
These are a selection of photographs were I photographed the first two feet in front of the camera lens. I wanted to play on the nature of photography and our sense of vision.
16” x 12” each
digital print
Resolution Images
The limits of our perception is a long time philosophical question. In this piece I revisited this idea using a contemporary digital vernacular.
36” x 36” each
digital print on fabric
Two Grams of Ink
These are a selection of drawings that were each made by carefully measuring exactly two grams of ink. In some drawings I wanted the ink to behave naturally and in others to signify itself through language. In the remaining drawings I disconnected its nature to depict a wide range of human emotions, or recognizable personalities.
16” x 12” each
drawing ink on paper
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intentions
My work addresses the construction of meaning through language and the validity of reality through perception. I’m interested in how we acquire knowledge and the forms our world view acquire. I also investigate the means in which signifiers are created compared to their assigned meanings, and I play off the arbitrary relationship of the material signifier and the signified meaning.
I am investigating the distance between the signifier and the signified through the analysis of the physical properties that make up the signifier compared to its assigned meaning. This creates a provocative dialogue between the meanings associated with their signifiers, and the means by which those signifiers are created, which is a fascinating conceptual challenge for me.
We place values onto meaning according to our morals and worldview. In a satirical way, I quantify these values with absurd and arbitrary modes of measurement. Through using units of measurement, such as inches and pounds, I play off the notion of visual weight, or as I call it the “significance of meaning”. Within this model the heavier and more transcendent the meaning, the further it’s disconnected from its mundane signifier, and thus a further disconnection from the physical world is established.
I also work with the idea of reality through the processes of perception. Because the empirical world is subjective to frames of reference, reality can be hidden from the viewer. I present information that is obstructed by different means, in order to play off the notion that something is possibly in the way between us, and the ultimate truths. My work might appear to be empty and innocuous, but there could be heavy and loaded content in the objects which is just out of the grasp of the viewer.
I want to challenge the notion of text and images acting as pure floating signifiers in perfect harmony with the abstract world of meaning, and to provoke a dialogue on the meaningfulness or the meaninglessness of our perceived world. I am concerned with the big questions. From measuring the universe to the meaning of the word “God”, I am searching for a form of truth, not just in an artistic sense, but in an ontological context as well.
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resumé
resumé - pdf
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email