Interview

Feb 7

Joseph Stublick

Joseph Stublick is an internationally selling abstract artist based out of Long Island, New York. His work has been exhibited in many places, including The Louvre, Artexpo New York, Gaudi’s La Pedrera, and The Hamptons Fine Art Fair.

Throughout history, many artists have often addressed existential questions and turned to their creative processes in order to satisfy a noble quest—understanding the Unknown. Nonetheless, Joseph questions the meaning of existence throughout his work by unveiling the subtle and mysterious beauty of the boundaries that define us as human beings.

He acts as a modern explorer, and his canvases as charts of the vast, unlimited universe of which we are only but a small part.

What is your background and how did you start your journey?

“I was a very ambitious artist all throughout grade school. However, once I began playing guitar and got into my first serious band at around 17 years old, I decided ‘rockstar’ was a way cooler career path. I traded in my pencils and brushes for guitar picks, and pursued a career in music. I had a few really wonderful victories along that journey, but I eventually fell back on my degree in business management and audio engineering. I became the director of event technology for an audiovisual company, and started planning to get married and start a family.
When COVID found its way into our lives, my career came to a halt. Things locked down and my life changed very quickly. I eventually lost my job, my marriage failed, and I moved out of the house I’d just bought; a house where I thought I’d be starting a family in.
Instead of totally giving up, I turned back to two-dimensional art. Sketching led to painting, and painting led to aerosol and stencil work. All of these techniques led to collaborations with my father, who is one of the best artists I know. From there, I started to develop my obsession with fluid art and action-painting, which involves liquifying acrylic paint and then manipulating it to create different types of art. I picked it up relatively quickly after a few months of frustration, and this developed into the style and genre that finally attracted international attention to my work.
M.A.D.S. Art Gallery, based out of Milan and Fuerteventura, found me through hashtag hunting and invited me to do my first international exhibition. From there, I found my way to Greece, Spain, Artexpo New York, The Hamptons Fine Art Fair, and even The Louvre. The last few years have yielded some of my life’s greatest blessings. I continue to hone my craft, and I continue to let it gift me with the life I have always dreamed of.”

What inspires you most?

“Everything inspires me. I’m fascinated by the spectrum of human emotion, our limitless potential, nature, the unknown, and how it all influences our experience as human beings. We are infinite forces of love and universal consciousness. The places and things we cannot see are where my work begins, and where it ends.”

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

“Ultimately, I’m driven by spirituality and the human experience. As I work, I come to realizations and understandings that help me become an increasingly better version of myself. I’m driven by this, and also by finding ways to influence others to look within and determine what they see.
We are what we believe we are. If we can break down the barriers we’ve created for ourselves, we will in turn unlock the key to becoming anything we want to be.”

How would you describe your work?

“One of the things I like most about my art is that it’s subjective. My style is obviously abstract, but it’s also incredibly figurative. I always know what it means to me. Sometimes this meaning comes before the piece is done. Other times, I reverse engineer its purpose after I finish.”

Which artists influence you most?

“So many people have influenced me, but to narrow it down, I’d go with my favorite legends: Picasso, van Gogh, M.C. Escher, Dali, and da Vinci.”

What is your creative process like?

“My process is mostly improvisational. Once in a while, I’ll have a composition in my head and then plot a course. But 90% of the time, it’s just shooting from the hip and letting my soul guide me.
If I don’t have a meaning and composition planned, I allow intuition to guide me through the creative process, and then draw out its meaning later. This allows me to paint all pieces and parts of the spectrum of human emotion, which is an incredibly fulfilling experience.”

“Everyone who views my work sees something different. Their own mind and experiences guide them to their own unique place, drawing their own unique conclusions.
Sometimes, their view gives me a whole new perspective.”

What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?

“An artist’s role in society is to hold a mirror up to everyone’s face. We examine all parts of the human experience, sometimes going even deeper than that. We are here to remind people how unique their own minds are. We are here to remind ourselves and our peers that we are creators in all senses—both recreationally and spiritually.
Being able to create art is a gift that gives an artist their life and purpose—a gift we can simultaneously share with the rest of the world. As far as evolution goes, the creative mind’s responsibility remains the same while technology advances. We now have virtual and augmented reality, which is creating a whole new universe for art to exist within. We can create without pens, pencils or paints, simply by clicking buttons and typing commands. We even have some fun AI art apps, which all serve their purpose but will not ultimately replace us. These advances will serve as sharper knives and finer paintbrushes. At the end of the day, our art comes from the human spirit, soul, and mind.”

Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?

“In 2022, I took part in the following exhibitions:
- Artexpo New York, NYC.
- Carrousel du Louvre, Paris.
- The Hamptons Fine Art Fair, Long Island.
- Carrousel du Louvre, Paris.”