Interview

Dec 1

Emily Joseph

Painting has given Emily the ability to escape and express herself in safe imagery. Lines give movement and scribbles could become a pattern to dances. The core of the work focuses on the use of color such as illumination, complimentary colors, and the subtractive method. Through observation, the juxtaposing of shapes and color create movement and emotions. Using color, intertwine with planes and lines give liveliness to the painting and hint of its hidden message. Since Graduate School (Rochester Institute of Technology – MFA), she has followed T. S. Elliot’s Objective Correlative. This is a means of expressing emotion in art by using either set objects, a situation, or a chain of events. Through this method, the painting becomes that emotion. The choice is to do abstract painting, because it supplies the necessary tools allowing the portrayal of thoughts and emotions in work. In her work, she does not dictate the emotion found in the painting; but leaves it for the viewer’s own discovery and interpretation. This work subjective in nature, utilizes color to illustrate feelings, dreams and with each piece, there is an underlying core of darkness and a definite area of light. This draws the eye over the piece to core. The lines keep the eyes moving, while the dots scream, “look at me”. The exchange between colors, lines and shapes tell her story.

What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?

“I started drawing at age four, with my mother as my teacher. I did art in High School and went on to Rochester Institute of Technology and received both Bachelors of Fine Arts and Master of Fine Arts in Painting. When I was 14, I was drawing people's portraits. I was introduced to painting in High School. Captivated by photography, I would take pictures and later paint them using non representational colors. In college, the floodgates opened. I have been painting ever since.”

What inspires you?

“Color, patterns, shapes, architecture. Nature. But not the actual items for instance. A rose is a woman stretching to the dawn. I find buildings and streets with graffiti inspirational. In addition, emotions drive me. If I wish to paint about a struggle, I find the symbols and color that can portray it.”

What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?

“Definitely. T.S. Eliot's Objective Correlative. A Series of events that capture an emotion or draw that. I am a survivor and that drives some of my painting, not always on the dark side but on the joyful side of living.”

“Emotions drive me. If I wish to paint about a struggle, I find the symbols and color that can portray it.”

How would you describe your work?

“Abstract the use of color and lines to evoke an emotion.”

Which artists influence you most?

“Anton Tapies, Picasso, Mark Rothko.”

What is your creative process like?

“I stroke the canvas, then lay a base color down. My hands continue to touch the canvas. the base color is the scheme that I will use. I then leave it be for one night and look at the painting the next day and add more paint. I layer and layer paint to get the texture. Once the painting is done, I use Conte crayons and draw symbols that are meaningful to myself.”