Joseph Ostraff. 
You Alter My DNA

2022. Oil on Panel. 12X72in.

There are three main components employed within this painting: a double helix representing a DNA strand, shapes donated for use in this painting by friends participating in the Inherit Exhibition, and fragments of typography from neon signs that I bring to the painting as my key shape. These signs date back to my childhood and are now found in the Neon Museum, Las Vegas, NV. They mark countless road trips connecting the home of my youth in California with my current home in Utah. One of the only real constants in my life is the compulsion to be changed and shifted. I envision that this process cuts deep, altering who I am and changing me all the way to my DNA. Collaboration conjures deep feelings of gratitude towards all those that have joined in the process. These paintings are a celebration of those relationships.