Renowned artist Justin L’Amie is set to unveil his latest solo exhibition, Dismal Nitch Polyphemus Moth, at PDX Contemporary Art. The exhibition opens on September 10 and will run until October 4.
L’Amie, who began his association with the gallery in 2009, has continued to develop his unique artistic style, blending intricate elements of nature with whimsical narratives. The upcoming exhibition showcases his captivating watercolor and gouache paintings, which brim with life and detail.
At the heart of L’Amie’s work are delicate depictions of garden life. His paintings feature vivid yellow dandelion-like flowers set against empty space, alongside a leisurely house cat and a ladybug nestled within a pot of herbs. Other works, like Moth Resting, capture intimate moments of moths fluttering in the evening light, searching for nectar in a cherry tree.
L’Amie’s diverse garden scenes also include striking images such as Spiderling, where climbing flowers and vermillion hatchlings create a vibrant setting. In another work titled The Snake of Warm Welcome, a serpent languidly traverses the garden floor, gathering fungi, lichen, and insects along its journey.
The inspiration behind this latest exhibition stems from a profound connection L’Amie shares with nature. During his time as a student at Cornish College of the Arts, close friends gifted him a dead, entirely intact polyphemus moth found at the Dismal Nitch rest stop on the Washington side of the Columbia River. This exquisite creature became a recurring subject in L’Amie’s artwork, inspiring him to explore themes of transformation and resilience through the lens of nature.
In a statement, L’Amie reflected on his artistic evolution: “I was very focused on abstraction, layering, and materials. I worked in that direction for a number of years, getting immersed in assemblage and sculptural ideations.” This dedication to repetition led him to transition from abstract explorations to a more naturalistic style, with moths becoming a key motif throughout his enchanting watercolors.
One of the striking paintings in the exhibition, Grouping, depicts an arrangement of inspired creatures in a trine formation. Here, a dancing walking stick, a sinister-looking centipede, and a whimsical sprite with clawed hands come together in a captivating tableau. L’Amie’s artistic approach involves reimagining the world around him, which results in creatures that are not drawn directly from entomological sources but instead transformed through his creative lens.
In Moon Moth, a polyphemus moth rests on a branch surrounded by gemstone-hued wildflowers, embodying the ephemeral beauty of nature. L’Amie’s work frequently touches on the cultural associations of moths, inviting viewers to contemplate themes of transformation and the transient nature of existence.
Another piece, Flower Arrangement 61, features a fantastical composition of fluorescent pink coneflowers, ruffled lilies, and delicate paper-light poppies. Here, a carefree spider dangles from a stem, while moths rest nearby. L’Amie introduces viewers to a whimsical universe where worms, beetles, and even a troll interact with the flora and fauna, each quietly contributing to the intricate storytelling within the paintings.
Resonating with the artistic lineage of the Northwest Mystics—a group of Pacific Northwest artists from the 1930s and ’40s who celebrated their natural surroundings—L’Amie draws inspiration from historical figures such as Mark Tobey and Morris Graves. These influences inform his unique approach, marrying surrealist sensibility and folkloric narrative in his detailed works.
Through Dismal Nitch Polyphemus Moth, L’Amie cultivates a visual language that is both endearing and mischievous. His art encapsulates the dichotomy of existence—the interplay of light and darkness, creation and destruction—while prompting viewers to reflect on the harmonious balance between these opposing forces in our shared environment.
image source from：wweek
