Painter Justin Lyons Brings His Characters to Life at the Atlanta Art Fair

ATLANTA - EntSun -- Self-taught painter Justin Lyons is showing new work at the third Atlanta Art Fair, where the characters from his canvases come to life through animation on a screen at his booth. At booth F23 at Pullman Yards through Sunday, October 4, he pairs large paintings with animated versions of an alligator, a dove, a circus bear on a unicycle, a rearing horse, and his stitched, patched Ragamuffins teddy bears.

Lyons' paintings run on wordplay. "st U ff" crosses each Ragamuffins canvas with the U highlighted: you, the inner work. In I Hope This Makes You Feel Better, a white dove holds a rose beside the title, with "better" crossed out, a line taken from a note his girlfriend's son drew for her when she was sick. He made the animations from his own paintings using AI video tools.

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"I paint the human condition: the stuff we carry, patch up, and keep going with," said Lyons. "Seeing the characters move doesn't replace the painting. It's another way in."

Lyons, 47, a former skateboarder and surfer, began by pasting his work on the street. His first show came around 2005, when the owner of a seafood steam house in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, took his work off the street and hung it on her walls. He has since shown at the Torrance Art Museum, and his 2020 solo exhibition, Say It Ain't So, ran at Maune Contemporary in Atlanta. Works on view are priced from $5,400 to $15,900.

Pullman Yards is at 225 Rogers St NE. Hours are Saturday, October 3, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday, October 4, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Lyons is available for interviews at the booth throughout the weekend. High-resolution images and animation clips are available on request.

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About Justin Lyons http://www.jlyonsart.com
Justin Lyons is a self-taught mixed-media painter based in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. Built from scratched surfaces, handwritten text and crossed-out words, his work explores the human psyche through a cast of recurring characters. Instagram: @j.lyonsart

About Wink Communications http://www.wink-communications.com
Wink Communications is an independent PR and strategic communications firm based in Miami, founded in 2010 by Hannah Litman. Wink works with artists and with luxury and lifestyle brands on press, positioning, and brand strategy. Hannah's career spans editorial roles at Elle, the BBC, and Condé Nast Traveler, in-house brand roles at Royal Caribbean International and Silversea, and agency work for national consumer brands.