Sculptor Justin Long
By Michele Malinchak
Rusted old farm tools destined for the scrap heap are treasures waiting to be discovered by sculptor Justin Long. Working out of his Haycock Township studio, Justin has created unique sculptures for more than 20 years from found objects, carved stone and hand formed steel. “I’m attracted to neglected tools—broken, used and worn down that give the sculptures more age and character,” he said.
Through his imagination and skill they are repurposed into striking contemporary art. His sculptures are comprised of two collections: The Contour Series and The Farm Series. The Contour Series consist of fabricated hollow form structures that explore human form and visual balance. They begin as a doodle on paper and if he’s happy with it, he’ll initial it in his sketchbook. A larger drawing is then made on cardboard and the patterns are drawn onto flat steel. “The process of changing from 2-D to 3-D can be challenging,” he said.
The steel is manipulated and welded to create flowing forms of various heights. The graceful sculptures are free-form and have no sharp lines. As a final touch, he applies surface patinas to give them different finishes. Most of the sculptures in his Contour Series are abstract expressionist though some, like “The Archer” and “Jordan,” an angel commemorating a friend, are more representational.
For his Farm Series Justin draws inspiration from old tools that once worked Bucks County fields. Besides frequenting yard sales and flea markets, he goes to farm auctions looking for artifacts he can use in his sculptures.
“I look at objects I’ve found and lay them all out on a table, deciding which ones to use. You work your way up,” he said.
Objects such as wagon wheel hubs, pitch forks, strap hinges, rakes and shovels are all repurposed into whimsical sculptures which are forged and welded together. Justin finally sandblasts them so the parts blend together and rust evenly. Finished pieces are mounted on local bluestone, marble or granite bases as are all of his sculptures.
This series includes an impressive array of animals such as deer, herons, owls, hawks and geese. There are also caricatures of human figures like opera singers, joggers and musclemen, each taking on a life of its own. The tiniest sculpture in this series stands only three inches tall.
You could say Justin’s life as a sculptor began as a boy who liked to play with Legos, build balsa wood planes and plastic models. He was curious about how things worked and often took apart tape recorders and leaf blowers to find out. He’d collect the parts but left them lying around causing his parents to say, “You always take things apart but never put them back together.”
The desire to create and put the parts together didn’t happen until later in his early 20’s.
Justin was born in Houston, TX and lived there for six years before moving to CT. His family stayed there another six years before moving to Solebury, PA.
As a student he had trouble reading and struggled with dyslexia and attention deficit disorder. He attended Solebury School in New Hope where his love of art began. He did well at drawing and painting and said, “I could always visualize things better rather than explain verbally.”
After he graduated he attended Alfred University in Alfred, NY and set out to become an environmental engineer. Everything changed when he took a sculpture class, learning how to weld and combine metal and stone. In 2004 he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts degree (BAFA).
Four days after graduation he attended a carving studio class in Rutland, VT where he learned stonecutting and polishing. It inspired him to start his own hardscaping business building walls and doing other masonry projects.
During this time he also played around with steel and the knowledge he gained paved the way to build architectural stairwells later on.
Justin has held several jobs during his career. In 2005 he worked for Blue Moon Acres, an organic farm in Buckingham, PA. Shortly afterwards, while living in a converted chicken coop, he cut and polished stone for sculptor Andrew Logan, also based in Buckingham.
He later worked for another sculptor, Harry H. Gordon Studios in Lambertville, NJ. Together they’d move large scale sculptures on a flatbed truck fitted with a crane to locations from Maine to Florida. During this time Justin met many artists and sculptors and learned about playing with balance and acquired different perspectives.
Other jobs included stone fabrication at Digital Stone, formerly in Hamilton, NJ across from Grounds for Sculpture. He worked there for two years cleaning and polishing stone and doing miscellaneous tasks.
In addition, he was a teaching assistant and shop manager for one and a half years at Bucks County Community College, Newtown in their 3-D department.
From 2008-2010 Justin began making found art pieces at his studio in Carversville, PA and found a market for them. “Each time I sold a piece it inspired me to make more,” he said.
It was also in 2008 that he met his wife, Lynnie. Interestingly enough, both attended the same high school and university, yet never met until much later.
In 2012 the couple married and upgraded their living quarters to a comfy renovated turkey coop in Gardenville, PA. In 2013 they moved to Haycock Township where they currently live in a real house on eight acres with a horse, chickens, goats, ducks and three spirited dogs.
Justin worked out of his basement for some time doing architectural steel work and making furniture, but eventually the fumes drove him to build an outdoor studio. The studio was designed by Lynnie and built by Justin in 2013.
Lynnie has her own jewelry studio where she makes wearable art inspired by nature from gold, silver and brass (available on carolynkeys.com). “Her jewelry is parallel to my own work,” Justin said. She also helps with shop drawings for his architectural steel work.
In addition to sculpting he specializes in custom steel fabrication for architectural projects. He collaborates with designers, contractors and architects to build furniture pieces and steel staircases with wooden treads. Working with Cider Press Woodworks in Perkasie, PA, he produces one of a kind architectural elements for residential homes and the hospitality industry.
Justin also works with Bucks County Hardwoods in Doylestown, PA creating live edge tabletops using the natural edges of trees.
His work has been exhibited throughout the northeast and his sculptures are in a number of private collections. Justin shows and sells his sculptures at local art events such as the Tinicum Art Festival, Rittenhouse Square Fine Art Show, Doylestown Arts Festival and Mt. Gretna Outdoor Arts Festival. He also does commissioned work for those who have a particular idea in mind.
This year he took part in the New Hope Arts Outdoor Sculpture Project, a free and accessible public art display throughout the Borough of New Hope. Justin installed two colorful red and blue steel sculptures: I Beam 1 and Apex, both made from old repurposed Bethlehem Steel beams. The sculptures, ranging in size from 10 x 8 feet to 14 x 10 feet, can be seen at 275 W. Bridge Street, New Hope.
One of his sculptures has also been on display at Penn Community Bank in New Hope. His work is in the permanent collections of the Solebury School and the Doylestown Community Conservatory.
Justin admires the work of sculptors Henry Moore, Picasso, Constantin Brancusi Isamu Noguchi and local stone sculptor Steven Snyder.
He’d like to get more involved in making public art and get away from functional work. “There’s a constant battle between creative and functional art,” he said. He sees it as a problem to be solved even though, he added, “Functional art pays well and is dependable.”
Justin, who is at least six feet tall, is unpretentious about his art. Standing next to one of his taller works he said, “I’d like to make bigger sculptures that make us humans smaller.”
To see more of Justin’s work, visit www.justinlongart.com/sculpture.
Michele Malinchak is a freelance writer who has a degree in art and enjoys oil painting.