statement - qwist joseph

statement
The sculpture I make exemplifies my interest in objects, their creation and our tendency to covet them. Humans have developed elaborate and diverse systems to categorize and dictate the value of things and the materials they are made of. Art is elevated and protected above most things, and its display is a platform in which this object obsession is exaggerated. Through the podium of art exhibition, I explore the idea of object-ness. I question the parameters around what defines something as an object, and more specifically what is necessary to transform that thing into art. Further, I wonder where the line is drawn between art and the ordinary; my work is meant to test these limits.

I study my thought process through object creation, collection and composition-in an effort to record its evolution and fluidity. Freezing these ephemeral moments in permanent materials like ceramic and bronze, creates a tension and connection between the past, present and future. This record sheds light on the effects of life- encouraging self reflection, honesty and authenticity. In the studio I rely on material behavior and the happenstance of process to dictate this kind of direction, encouraging ideas to morph and evolve.

Disorienting displays along with strange material conglomerations resist obvious definitions, anticipating the discovery of meaning to come through the experience of looking. We live in a time where answers are readily available and the unknown hardly exists. American culture is one of immediacy and knowability; my work is meant to offer a departure from that monotonous reality. My compositions are open invitations for questioning and investigation, creating a dialogue with the viewer asking them to collaborate using their own experience