How do you interpret abstraction in your art? I’m with the Nabi painters on this one: I view Abstraction as an isolation and intensification of nature.
Favorite material to work with? Anything that can be pulled straight out of the earth.
What themes do you pursue? A few are the relationship of a fixed point to an object in motion, the debris of habit, the usefulness of entropy. Also, Color is very important, and, to quote Kristina Van Dyke, “space, as pea soup.”
Most important tool you use? My hands. After those, chisels of all sorts.
Where is your studio? For now it’s in my back yard…what would otherwise be a two-car garage.
What was the best advice given to you as an artist? Advice from my father: Plant your corn early. Also, this: Don’t smoke in bed. I’ve found those two little nuggets cover just about every kind of job.
Process> Concept or Process<Concept? Process=Concept and Concept=Process, I’m a fan of marriage.
Why do you make art? It’s a compulsion, away from which I don’t function very well.
Art school or self-taught? School. University of Texas at Austin.
Prefer to work with music or in silence? It really depends on the day.
iTunes, spotify, records? iTunes in the studio. Vinyl anywhere else.
What’s around the corner from your place? Oh man, two gas stations and a whole lot of corn.
Favorite sound? Wind through the wings of Canadian geese flying 6 feet off the ground.
Favorite smell? Peonies
Where can we find you outside the studio? In the Garden with my family, or running miles from nowhere with a friend.
Sketchbook? Do you use one? What type? Yeah, I try to make mine. Moleskin works as well. Anything smallish that I can fit or fold into my pocket is nice.
Who are your favorite writers? Wendell Berry, Annie Dillard, William Faulkner, Edward Abbey and Thomas Merton
What could you not do without? I’m a sucker for things that grow.
If you couldn’t be an artist, what would you do? Work road crew.
Day job? I teach University
Food or sleep? I guess it depends on what I’m potentially eating.
Finish the sentence: “I would never be caught dead….” in Disney Land.
Would you rather be able to make a living as an artist now or become famous after you die? Barring the loss of my soul, count me in for now.
Were you popular in high school? I’m not sure, but I don’t really think so.
Would you rather see your art on a t-shirt or on a billboard? Billboard, for sure. Those things are so offensive, aren’t they?
Traditional or conceptual? Both, I’m an advocate of craft in order to sustain the viewers present-moment-romance of the concept and visa-versa.
Favorite contemporary artist? It’s a toss up between Peter Buggenhout, Didier Vermeiren and Harald Klingelholler
A piece of art you love? Bonnard’s The Studio with Mimosa
If you could only have one piece of art in your life, what would it be? Probably Donald Judd’s 100 untitled works in mill aluminum.
Which living or dead artist would you most like to meet? Bernini
Every get hurt ‘on the job’? Does my ego count?
Drink beer while you build? After.
If you were a tool, what would you be? I would like to think that I would be an adjustable right angle, but I think a U-Gouge Chisel is more on the mark.
Outsourcing or handmade? I’m a firm believer in both. A lot of my work comes from working. After a problem/group of problems have been resolved through working I have no qualms with future iterations being outsourced.
Is bigger better? No, not in the least.
Koons or Hirst? Both of those guys know just what they’re doing…Koons though, if I had to choose.
Feelings on taxidermy? I prefer the living.
“CAOH” drawing is available for sale for $700.00 on Saatchi Online
For more updates about Showdown- stay up to date at http://www.saatchionline.com/showdown
Who am i to say…but if I were Josh..I`d drop the colour schemes and just focus on form…why?
1. would be cleaner and more to the point. This geometrical thing with colour has been done…and he will never become famous for it; because…yes…because its been done before..thats why.
I love this work. The bold rich colors enhance the large shapes beautifully.
Congratulations, well done.
MA OBSERV SI ”’OBSERV”;
welker a studiat arte plastice dar ai plac figurile geometrice,
eu am facut politehnica dar ami plac liniile -scharmul formelor curbe=”’NEREGULATE…,
DECI:: contradictiile dintre forma de ”preparare si dorinta sufletului sunt evident contrastante = ”’DIAMETRAL OPUSE…
in final doar timpul=spatiul==lumina===muzica====imaqginatia spiritului sanatos…., va da dreptate
”’VALORILOR ADEVARATE…,
ce vor ramane sa strabata in continuare”’TOATE TIMPURILE ….!!!!….
IAR ACEST”’ NU AM FOST., NU AM VAZUT…, NU SUNT EU….
aceste ”’negari ale negatiei in titlu si continut…, vor fii uitate…. poate chiar neinsemnate….
CE MA FACE SA ZAMBESC este ca totusi s-a depus munca aici…,
CE MA FACE SA FIU DEZAMAGIT…
este ca din nou ca si incazul celui de=al doilea loc(sacii din canepa ai doamnei NADA )
AVEM UN JURIU- critici de arta- curatori …etc….care NU AU SUFICIENT STUDIU IN ARTA,
care nu stiu inca sa distinga ”’VALORILE DE NON VALORI…,
POEZIA CULTURII UNIVERSALE de ”’cizmele de pe strada…..
originalitatea cautarilor continue de ”robotismul (uneori ) al vietii,
susurul limpede si clar al ivorului vietii, de automatismul lumii contemporane….
STIU: a spune ceea ce gandesti (critic, ironic, exact, cu sau fara epitete,forma neeleganta…),uneori e impotriva ”SPIRITULUI COLECTIV”"”
poate fi catalogat ””IGNORANTA OMULUI CARE NU STIE SA FACA NIMIC….- dar submineaza munca unui intreg ansamblu de oameni muncitori…,
eu doar atrag atentia, asupra faptului ca nu tot ceea ce pentru ”’UNI “”"este locul ”’ antai ”’= 1,, este ”’neaparat valoros”’!!!!
sunt multe alte lucrari lasate in umbra in mod nejustificat !!!!
I’m a brasiian Artist and Architect, from rio de janeiro city
I like his work very much. Then the color, materials work together and the value he gives to his art and life is all excelelent!!!
Art is always a remake, sometimes there’s something new but almost all have
be done anyway…
But everybody has his own eyes and do by differents ways..i think so…