Chris Johst • imperfect garfield 16

Chris Johst 
imperfect garfield 16, 2025 
Resin, acrylic, and flashe
6.25 x 4.25 x 3.25 in

imperfect garfield 13 and imperfect garfield 16 are part of an ongoing series that uses generative AI as a starting point to produce sufficiently transformative imitation Garfield figurines. The project is an exercise in exploring authorship, parody, and aesthetic legibility with machine assistance.

Chris Johst (b. 1991) uses digital fabrication and repurposed technology to create works that combine visual art and cultural anthropology. Pulling from archives of vernacular aesthetics, popular culture, and everyday artifacts, he reconfigures familiar forms to identify and highlight the through lines that have shaped our principles, beliefs, and ideals. Johst received his BFA from Rhode Island School of Design and his MFA from California Institute of the Arts.