mayo 21, 2010

Joshua Petker.

Joshua Petker IV Joshua Petker V Joshua Petker I

“I used to say I was born in the wrong century. The way overly dramatic kids claim to be old souls living in the present day, I was convinced I was secretly an impressionist painter, meant more for turn of the century's demi-monde opulence rather than today's world of animators, illustrators, and monster movie artists. I didn't go to art school. I don't know all the proper techniques. I learned color theory by doing graffiti, but the story of the graffiti-artist-turned-fine-art-painted has been played out since the mid-'80s. My own life seemed to be working against me. I was convinced I should have been born in 1850.
Then I realized that I was approaching everything wrong. I live in Hollywood, this century's den of inequity and excess. I have eccentric colorful friends that rival the models of Degas and Renoir, I spend nights at Los Angeles bars that could rival those painted by Monet, and as this is 2007 I have access to neon pink and hot orange that I imagine even Van Gogh wouldn't know how to utilize. I am a contemporary painter interested in historic themes. There isn't anything wrong with that. I don't have any art school loans to pay back. I primarily paint women because I'm tremendously influenced by Klimt - and really focused on beauty.”

- Juxtapoz Magazine, October 2007

Joshua Petker II Joshua Petker III

I’ve been a fan of his work since I first saw it, three or four years ago. Today, while working on some drawings I’ve been trying to finish for months now but failed to get some inspiration I thought of him again and of an interview he did that stuck in my head. Someone doing his own thing and defining his own relationship with art, which is something I really admire.

You credit Klimt as being a major influence to you stylistically. Do you use symbols in your work similar to the way he did? Are they graphics and ornament for you or something more?

JP: I'm not so sure Klimt was really a symbolic painter. I think for him it was mostly about decoration and beauty. And, in that sense I definitely do things similar to him. In my own opinion, Klimt's main goal was to create beauty and I think he felt ornamentation was an acceptable tool for his work. There were artists then and now that think decoration takes away from the intellectual impact of the work – I disagree. Because I too focus almost entirely on beauty I continually look to Klimt for guidance on decoration and mood and believe ornamentation is acceptable considering the intent of our work.

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