Conversations with Joel Stevenson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Joel Stevenson.

Hi Joel, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I began my artistic journey with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) from the University of Arizona, Tucson where I developed a profound appreciation for the interplay between life and art. Later I earned a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) from the University of Washington, Seattle further exploring how art and life balance. Both of these degrees emphasized fine art photography. But I’ve always been a more eclectic artist and later moved into sculpture and then into oil pastels and oil painting. All of which I still practice.

I love what I call our dances through daily dilemmas, and my work imagines these with expressions of energy, movement and grace. Recently, I have incorporated mixed woods into my sculptures allowing the layering of contrasting tones to mimic the many layers making up each of our personalities, sometimes coming to the forefront and sometimes receding into the background.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I’m not sure if my art ever follows a smooth road. I was told early on to explore all of your ideas to see where they may lead, if you don’t there may be possibilities you never get to explore. Some of these explorations lead to dead ends but give you hints of exciting frontiers. Others blast ahead with much creative force and energy. It’s always exciting to try something new and see where it will lead you. I love learning about and trying new materials and processes to see how they can aid my expression.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
In my sculpture, I’m frequently sketching small organic shapes. I may do a hundred and then find one that intrigues me. Something about how the lines turn or the size and how it relates to the shape or how the lines go back onto themselves or crossover. I’m never sure what it is but something always catches me. I’ll take this little postage-stamp sized sketch and draw it on a block of wood. I always laminate multiple types of wood together to build contrast, then I begin sculpting and removing material.

It’s fascinating to see how this small two-dimensional sketch then takes on three-dimensional shape. You begin to see where the lines and edges go in space. What comes to the front, what goes behind or through to the other side. I sculpt the shape and allow it to grow and move through the wood, revealing the lines, shapes and tones turning them into this beautiful flowing artwork. It’s really a fascinating process.

My painting is similar. but it’s a built-up process instead of reducing. I lay down layer upon layer of paint and watch as the painting emerges. I then begin to work with the painting, working areas I want to emphasize.

We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
Sculpture to me is challenging because my work is all about risk. When you remove material, it’s gone and can’t be put back. But at the same time, you know it has to be removed to make the piece. So, I guess it’s like you know the direction but the risk comes in following it. You always have to follow it.

There’s also risk in that the work is really a look inside. I always wonder what the work reveals and what the viewer sees. How much of me comes out in the work. That’s exciting too.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://JoelStevensonArtist.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joel.stevenson.artist/