John Mike is Dead (John Michael Barone) is an Artist working and living in the Appalachian mountains of West Virginia. His work dives into the deepest states of the psychedelic and esoteric. In his work he is constantly trying to reach new peaks of technical skill, surreal abstractions, and awareness. As an Artist his creativity skirts the edge of lucidity, flirting with it to determine where the boundaries of metaphysical surrealism lie. John Mike Meditates on these ideals to become aware of their abstractions and concepts, thus using them to construct his unique visionary process.This helps him achieve ever higher, ever expanding knowledge of the art making process.

By examining traditional vs modern techniques in a critical light it shapes john’s work, and in turn himself. As an Artist he strives to make complex ideas simple for the viewer to interpret in the hopes of causing deep thought that creates a detachment from the physical realm. He equates this to the idea of dying, death, and rebirth as a current ongoing circulating metempsychosis of creativity.