Philadelphia artist Justin Tyner’s artwork thoughtfully mixes salvaged and repurposed glass to explore and manipulate the effects of light. His stained glass creations are made from recycled bottles and fallen stained glass from abandoned churches. Pieced together poems, kaleidoscopic patterns, and geometric forms filter the natural light to create limitless color combinations. Tyner’s works pay tribute to the history behind his materials and reminds us that inspiration can come from even the most forgotten places. His work has been exhibited in numerous galleries and museums in Philadelphia including the National Liberty Museum, The Seaport Museum, University of Pennsylvania, The Rincliffe Gallery at Drexel University, The Philadelphia International Airport and most recently at the Philly Magic Gardens. Tyner was born in Pittsburgh and grew up in the wilds of the Pocono Mountains, where his love of nature took root. He came to Philadelphia in 1997 to study graphic design and illustration at the Art Institute of Philadelphia. He learned the ancient craft of stained glass at Beyer Studio Inc., in the Germantown section of Philadelphia. He’s been employed there for the past nineteen years and has had the chance to work on cathedrals and churches all over the country.
He enjoys enriching his life through his art, and his urban environment. In his spare time, he fishes for trout , play drums and attends two reading groups, one poetic and one psychedelic. He was recently awarded an artist residency in Orquevaux France, and lived there for a month in a 16th century chateau in the Champagne-Ardenne region. He had the chance to explore new possibilities of stained glass and express his freedom and creativity.
