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Gary Justis’ chandelier monoprints translate ornate lighting fixtures into bold, graphic silhouettes that foreground color, shape, and repetition in the print medium. Working in series, he uses different historical chandelier types to create a visual taxonomy that emphasizes variation within a consistent format.
He began the project in 2011 using Baroque, Venetian, and Modern chandelier profiles, returning to it in 2016 with additional Rococo and Murano forms to expand the range of references and stylistic nuance. In the studio, Justis effectively “draws” these chandeliers with a torch, cutting their profiles from aluminum or galvanized steel sheets so that each matrix retains the direct, gestural energy of his hand.
For printing, the metal chandelier shapes are inked and printed over richly colored grounds that are built up in layers from a woodblock, creating complex surfaces and subtle depth. As the layered ink is pressed into the sheet, the process also embosses the paper, giving the images a pronounced physical presence that reinforces the tension between flat profile and implied volume.
