About the Artist

Justin Lefty Lefkowitz

JLeftyArt

Life's full of tales that have yet to be written they say... well this one has yet to be fully painted. Although born in Staten Island in 1991, Justin did not start perfecting his craft until mid 2016 when faced with horrific health issues at the time.

Starting early 2016 down over 30 pounds, things didn't seem to be going well for Justin at all. According to friends close to the artist, he was surviving on Powerade and Gatorade (for caloric intake) in the beginning - unable to bring himself to eat anything. He was too weak to even open the bottles himself. These bottles would go on to serve as partial inspiration for one of Justin's first pieces, an American flag created from Gatorade bottles with various colors throughout!

Although it would take almost a full year to properly diagnose him, Justin continued experimenting, creating, and producing new pieces of art that would expand boundaries and push his artistic limits as if there were no issues. Painting was the perfect outlet for Justin as he was unable to process audio and visual imagery due to the ongoing issues with his illness. After almost a year of multiple misdiagnosis, it would be discovered in December of that year that Justin had Lyme disease (chronic -post treatment Lyme disease). In 2019, it was discovered that the artist was also dealing with Bartonella, one of the more brutal co-infections of Lyme Disease.

Justin’s painting techniques vary a bit depending on the form of artwork he is setting out to create, and most importantly what his body is willing to allow him to produce. Justin cannot paint every day, but every day that he does have the ability to paint, he tackles the task at hand in the ways he can. The genres most seen within Lefty’s line of works include comical/contemporary satirism, americana, modern day sports, and abstract expressionism.

Over the last few years, Justin has been experimenting most within the genre of abstract expressionism. Drawing inspiration from artists such as Jackson Pollock and William de Kooning, Justin has used the canvas to create a directionless wonderland for the eyes to feast on. When looking at these works of art, take note of the layering and depth between the colors; it creates a texture that makes you want to feel the painting with your own hands. Although time and patience are a necessity in mastering the art of Abstract Expressionism, Justin’s love for this artistic genre shows he is well on his way in this coveted circle.

Lately, Justin has been grappling with the idea on how to combine his love of abstract expressionism with his love of other things in life. One example is evident in his 2021 collaboration with the New York Islanders and Coca-Cola, in which Justin created a one-of-a-kind New York Islanders logo that embraced the ideals of abstract expressionist artwork. For the culmination of this project, the logo created by Justin was placed on over 12,000 shirts for the Islander Fans to receive at the November 24th , 2021 home-game against the New York Rangers. Justin and his Islander artwork have been featured in commercials that air during telecasts on MSG, as well as during timeouts and between periods at Islander home-games at UBS Arena.

By meshing some ideas from different realms of the art-world, Justin is able to create a style that is truly his own. Lefty - as he likes to be known- looks to serve as an inspiration to not only the Lyme World, but also to local community organizations such as the Staten Island Heart Society, the NY Islanders Children’s Foundation, the Staten Island JCC, and the Stephen Siller Foundation, where Justin has, over the years, donated both works of art and proceeds from the sale of his art. Some worldwide organizations, such as Magen David Adom and the Global Lyme Alliance, have also seen the impact made from the artist, thanks to his recent abstract expressionist works.

Lefkowitz is currently deep in his study of abstract expressionism, but with a certain direction… he labels it his Contemporary Series! One of the artists’ early inspirations growing up was the World of Disney and the Art of Animation. Lefty desired to combine his loves for abstract art and his loves for the ideas of Disney, into a brainchild that was truly his own. Unique to Lefty, the Contemporary Series paintings have a certain depth from the canvas, due to the layering of paints over and over in a magical way until the primary focal point is achieved. If you think these paintings are cool to look at in a photograph, just wait until you see them in person and the artist allows you to feel the grooves the paint makes throughout the masterpieces themselves (he’ll let you touch them and feel the depth if you have gloves on).

For the latest on what Lefty is painting, please follow along the journey on social media, @JLeftyArt . Expect Justin to post either a new painting or the process behind what he is working on at the moment. For any inquiries, please don’t hesitate to reach out to J@JLeftyArt.com or social media!

Remember, when life hands you lemons, take it, but when life hands you Lyme, paint it!