American outsider artist from New Jersey (born 1941)
Bob Justin (1941–2015) was an American outsider artist from New Jersey. After being forced into retirement in 1991 by illness, he began to liquidate an old tool collection and other property at local flea markets. During this time he returned to a childhood penchant for finding imagery in everyday objects. By combining various antique found objects, or what he called the refuse of society, he would create what he calls “critters”, animal or human faces or forms set forth in found object wall masks or standing sculptures.
Justin's style, as described by an Assistant Curator from the New Jersey State Museum, Alison Weld, ranges from the minimal to obsessive and expressionistic, and thus his pieces vary from obsessively adorned objects to simple spare masks and sculptures. But for later bronze works and oil finger paintings his art is all constructed from found objects. The more heavily adorned pieces are often covered with memorabilia in the style of the traditional “southern memory pot”. His simpler pieces, particularly his wall masks, have been described, by Joseph Picard of the Home News Tribune, as showing a heavy West African influence. Regardless of the style, his found object sculptures are almost always metaphors for the figure or face which project an unpretentious human quality. It is these secondary images Justin perceives in the everyday item which the artist states as the source of his vision that forms the artwork, and which has been called his muse.
Justin displayed his first such piece, a combination of an antique wooden chair and pick axe head called “Texas Longhorn”, by his table at the flea market on a whim and was surprised when someone offered to purchase it as it was not for sale. But prodded by the buyers insistence and necessity he sold it. Other pieces followed and so did more buyers. One of these buyers was Dorothy Spencer, the Curator for the Arts America Project for the USIA. Her interest resulted in several of Mr. Justin's work being shown on an international tour under the Arts America Program of the United States Information Agency. Soon after other pieces of his work were shown by a local gallery. This led to his work being discovered by noted collector and board member of the American Museum of Folk Art, Christina Johnson, of the Johnson and Johnsons. Her collecting of Justin's art soon brought the notice of the wider art world and various awards and honors. At this time Justin's work also led him to be introduced to renowned sculptor Isaac Witkin and other influential artists. Witkin and Justin became friends and remained close, with Witkin becoming a mentor to Justin, until Witkin's death in 2006.
Sources: “Works by Bob Justin”, Alison Weld, Assistant Curator, New Jersey State Museum; “Art Born of Illness”, Cindy Craighead, Princeton Packet; “Artist Sculps Something from Nothing”, Joseph Picard, Home News Tribune and bobjustin.com
Publications about Bob Justin
Newspapers and newsmagazines
August 1994 The West Windsor-Plainsboro View West Windsor, New Jersey, "Plainsboro Library Displays Artists Work"
March 1994 Artique Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, "United States Information Agency, Eight nation African tour" by Lauren Chalmers.
June 10, 1994 The Princeton Packet Princeton, New Jersey, "Science at library to debut on Sunday" John P. McAlpin. August
September, 1994 Art Matters Philadelphia, Pennsylvania" First Friday Sampler".
November 1995 Artique Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, "In Collingwood, a growing antique center", by John Kelly.