Artist Statement

Hi, I'm Cortney Painter, an emerging artist that focuses on insects. I chose to focus on a particular subject instead of a particular medium. So, you will find sculptures, watercolor and ink, as well as paintings in my portfolio.

I hope to instill a sense of wonder and appreciation for the vastness of ecological diversity through my work. I present my subjects in both realistic to their current lifestyles, as well as completely out there activities such as skateboarding. I craft art to highlight the wonderous invertebrates living among us who are so often ignored or reviled for their size and alienness. I seek to highlight their beautiful features via enlarged creations.

What's in a name

The name is a mashup of decomposer, iridescent, and decadent. Its meant to illustrate my conviction to champion invertebrates particularly those that are not pollinators. They have enough champions. As well as my commentary on the nature of invertebrates and societal treatment of them.

Current Painting Projects

Space Hangar with Workers

This painting is featured around reimagining the ingenuity of invertebrates as a space fairing conglomeration of species. I might do a whole series around this theme. I have some possible other ideas in the works.

Net Catching Spider and the Tree of Life

There are many myths oriented around the Tree of Life with various mythical creatures or monsters living under and guarding the tree. I reimagined a Net Catching Spider as a mythical creature catching wisdom from the tree, in the form of light.

DJing Jumping spider

I imagined a Jumping spider with their remarkable agility and vision becoming a DJ. I've been focusing on spiders lately, because they are a much feared invertebrate. I'm trying to demonstrate their beauty and reinterpret them creatively.

Current Sculpture Projects

Leaf Bug-Hate speech series #0

This sculpture is of a leaf bug. A Pulchriphyllium giganteum (Malasian leaf bug). This sculpture is made of a copper wire frame that supports a mulberry paper shell. I intend to write graffiti style words illustrating negative opinions that people tend to have about insects generally. I decided to start with a leaf bug, precisely because i don't think people generally have a negative opinion about this particular insect. In fact, I think most people find them cute. This makes it a good candidate for people to reevaluate their general opinions they slap on all insects. Be warned the rest of the insects in this series may not but so cuddly. I intend to do insects people revile, and force people to confront their bias.