Meet Joshua Coe

Today we’d like to introduce you to Joshua Coe.

Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
Man, it’s hard to know what parts of the story I should share. Everything is so important because each individual experience shapes who I am in every way. I grew up in Phoenix, Arizona. I would say I have always loved creating through different mediums. As a young teenager, I loved doing graffiti on the streets. I spent a lot of time riding around Phoenix on a BMX bike, and going to hardcore shows on the weekends. Around that same time, I also discovered a love for making music and being fascinated through the lyrical capabilities of hip hop.

Soon I came across photography, which was something that just clicked in my mind. I started messing around with a Nikon D40, which was a pretty cool camera at the time. On a real note, God started transforming my life during that time, and I started going to church and taking it seriously. I got an opportunity to go to Jamaica with that church, and on that trip, I took a photo of a flower blooming at night. That photo ended up getting published by National Geographic and thus began my journey with making art through a lens.

I began doing photo shoots and taking any job that came my way. A year or so later, I met a guy who was filming a music video. I was inspired by what he was doing and the content he created. I asked a friend if I could film her wedding and then I sent it over to that guy to check it out and hopefully give me some advice. He did! He also started to let me tag along with him on shoots and a few years later, start working a bunch with him.

Over the years, it’s been quite a journey. I’ve done a lot of corporate/commercial work, shot more weddings than I can count, been published by Nat Geo and also Arizona Highways, shot music videos for some really cool people, and had the privilege of being apart of some amazing projects with working alongside some special organizations. I also LOVE rock climbing and spelunking and have been doing it for quite some time, and I even have been able to share film making with that passion!

Lately, I have been beginning to move forward into doing more documentary work. I recently produced a short documentary film on the migrants from Central America and them coming into the United States. The film took a few months to film and consisted of a lot of traveling, uncomfortable situations and lots of harsh realities that make your heartbreak.

Please tell us about your art.
Well, a lot of the art I create is either to expose people to something new and/or challenging or capture something beautiful so it can be remembered as time goes on.

When it comes to shooting weddings, I want people to feel the excitement from that day through the content I capture. I want that moment to be relived and remembered in an intimate and real way. Simply put, I want my work to retell the beauty of a couple’s love.

And for other projects that are for organizations, the goal is to communicate such an important message. Telling a story or truth that is super important can still difficult, regardless of how rich it may sound. It needs to be told well. I want viewers to not just notice valuable facts, but to truly feel something when they watch that video.

Filming births happen to be one of my favorite things to document. Capturing the whole process is extraordinary. I still don’t know how to quite explain it! It’s just so amazing.

But for the other projects I work on, the message might be more heavy or challenging. I want people to see things and hear things that they might not hear in their community. I want people to listen to other people’s stories and experiences that aren’t ordinary to their own life. When I produced the “Migrantes” short film, I wanted people who are comfortable in their homes and cultural climate to see and feel the pain that other humans are experiencing. I wanted people to be met with a difficult reality that they couldn’t close their eyes to.

I endeavor to have my artwork breathe with purpose. Whether it’s a wedding, a photo shoot, a commercial, or a documentary film, there is purpose in it.

I am stepping into more of a role as a documentarian. I’m in the process of preparing for a funding for a new film that I hope to produce. I want to make films that challenge humanity, that meet us in our privilege and leisure and simply communicate reality.

Given everything that is going on in the world today, do you think the role of artists has changed? How do local, national or international events and issues affect your art?
Absolutely. My role as a filmmaker flows with the tide of worldwide and especially our national issues.

To help provide a little context, outside of my career as a filmmaker, my community is made up of refugees and immigrants. My community helps form the lens through how I see the world and keeps my heart from being more withdrawn from considering the effects of people that much of society might overlook. I have been finding in the past two years that there is an opportunity to benefit my community through film making. For example, I have had the privilege of working with an organization called Immigrant Hope. While filming for that project, I was able to include my community, but also to consider their stories and present difficulties while filming and making the film.

But organizations like Immigrant Hope exist because of difficult and tense situations within the political leanings and issues of our nation and other nations. I seem to work jobs that exist because some sort of injustice took place, and then that spurred on a movement or mission of reconciliation or redemption.

How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
I am trying to always keep my website up to date with new content: joshuacoe.com.

I am also still producing music for fun, and I can be found on SoundCloud.

I am planning on releasing a full album this year.

SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/joshuacoe.

And then I also am on Instagram and Facebook, although I’m very minimal with going on social media.

Instagram: @explorer_joshua

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshuacoefilm/

But what really helps support me is when people are sharing my work. Tell your people about it if it inspires or intrigues you! I also want to say this: the people and organizations that are in my films are so so so important and deserving of being recognized and heard because art is living and breathing and goes far beyond just a sound or image!

Contact Info:

• Website: joshuacoe.com
• Email: joshuaco3@gmail.com
• Instagram: explorer_joshua
• Facebook: facebook.com/joshuacoefilm
• Other: https://soundcloud.com/joshuacoe

Getting in touch: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.