Feels Good
It’s really cool to see an artist who’s utilizing technology in a non-gimmicky way to make art about living in a tech-driven time.
Austin Lee’s show ‘Feels Good’ at Jeffrey Deitch in Soho is “an exploration into the dichotomy of things that evoke both positive and negative effects (WWD). Specifically how social media can make you feel so good sometimes and yet oh so bad others.
Interview magazine’s Sarah Nechamkin describes the show most accurately (IMO), as “fluorescent, stupefyingly dopamine-firing art.”
Listening to him talk about his process is fascinating. And while I knew he created his sculptures by using VR (having played with sculpture in VR myself), I had no idea the depth at which he goes to experiment with planning works (paintings) before creating them.
“On the computer, it’s endless drawings. I could just draw forever and there’s no risk and I can try everything.” - Austin Lee for WWD
He uses the Oculus Rift’s virtual-reality program Medium to mock out his sculptures and paintings.
“I’ve been interested in computers and technology for as long as I can remember. I’m curious,” he says. “A new program for a computer might come out and I’ll experiment with it and see what I can do. I’ll start to wonder what this new visual language means and it will eventually find its way into something I’ve made.” - Austin Lee for It’s Nice That
In fact, he was only introduced to VR through a friend in 2018, and he describes it as a “breakthrough.”
About the Artist
“He's fully committed and borderline obsessive, continuously questioning the ideas and processes of his art. Energetic and inquisitive, his appetite for creativity and production is headed down the fast lane.” —Austin McManus for Juxtapoz
I can absolutely see this being true through all of the interviews I’ve read about Lee. He seems to be constantly pushing his own creative boundaries and he seems to keep himself very ‘open.’ Open to new ideas, to evolution and even to other people’s opinions.
“Often people come to my studio and say things about my work that I hadn’t thought about. That can really change my own view of it. I am also learning in the process.” - Austin Lee for Office Magazine
Austin Lee currently lives and works in New York. He received his MFA from Yale and his BFA from Tyler School of Art.
He’s represented by Peres Projects Gallery in Berlin
Interesting Press
Follow him on his Instagram here
