Joel, Gibbs, “Walking a Mile in Their Shoes”. 2019. Radford University, Thesis. Radford University Scholars' Repository.
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Abstract
My work addresses a variety of social, political, and economic inequities in society that are largely the result of the inability of many to empathize with others. It is often the case these individuals can empathize, but only through personal ties with family, or immediate groups. I include an aspect of dark humor in my approach that reflects the sense of myself as a cynical optimist. Overall, these paintings are a visual representation of my feelings about social issues and my sense of empathy regarding those issues seen through a pragmatic lens. A great deal of what goes on in my paintings is related to what issues elicit an empathetic response in me. I proceed to formulate a visual representation in which I communicate not just the specific issue, but the overarching problem in general. Depending on my concept for the work, I look for images that are either generic people who can serve as archetypes, or in some cases specific individuals. I work from both photo-references and drawings composed from various photographs. In some cases I utilize live models and still life objects. While many works are composed in oil, if the imagery I want to create would be better served by other media, such as collage, and found objects, I don’t hesitate to employ them. If any materials seem appropriate, I take advantage of what works best. Within the parameters of the Postmodernist tradition, I often appropriate imagery or themes from artists of the past, having borrowed from such artists as Munch, Ensor, and Bacon in my compositions. Joel G. Gibbs Department of Fine Arts, 2018 Radford University
| Item Type: | Thesis |
|---|---|
| Subjects: | N Fine Arts > ND Painting |
| Divisions: | Radford University > College of Visual and Performing Arts > Department of Art |
| Date Deposited: | 14 Sep 2020 17:10 |
| Last Modified: | 20 Apr 2023 18:13 |
| URI: | http://wagner.radford.edu/id/eprint/489 |
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