Josh Jordan
BFA: Art with an Emphasis in Illustration
Artist Name:
Josh Jordan
Work Title:
A Shrine To No Body, Shred Me Intangible, Gore Me Intangible - Shrine To No Body
Medium:
Foam, Acrylic Paint, Mixed Media
Artist Statement:
A Shrine to No Body is a large-scale interpretation of my own self reflections and explorations over the past year and a half. The multi-media structures, built primarily from insulation foam and spackling, create a three-dimensional space that reflects a pocket world within my mind. This world embodies every internal conflict and strain that has altered my growth as a person and a creator. By building up this space and projecting it into our tangible reality, I invite the audience to step into a world caught between deconstruction and reconstruction. Dying and rebirth.
On either side of the Shrine, the twin pillars house two paintings, each illustrating the distortion and reshaping of the same figure in different forms. The figure is abnormal. Humanoid and horrific, but beautiful as it transforms indefinitely. The focal point of the Shrine, an otherworldly altar, exists as the core of this space. It blooms and decays in tandem, embodying both life and death. From the altar itself, an amalgamation of sound plays out into the space, distorted, yet familiar. Looking upwards, a half-dead star sits suspended above the space, both daunting and affirming as it threatens to either burn out forever, or reach full glow. The space’s dark, cool tones are to contrast with the stark silver. The quiet, gloomy blues interrupted by the neutral shimmers. The goal was for there to be an air of uncertainty on how to feel in the space. Does it feel good to change? Or is not knowing what you are becoming too scary a thought?
Artist Bio:
Joshua Jordan is a multidisciplinary artist from St. Peter’s, Missouri. While he is earning a BFA at Webster University with an emphasis in Illustration, his artistic practices have branched out from 2D mediums and encompass sculptural work as well. He makes use of painterly, whimsical styles with the goal of enveloping the viewer in fantastical realities that possess narrative reflections of our world. Within these visual abstractions, he creates spaces to better express thoughts about himself and varying social topics. These topics may include race, gender identity, sexuality, neurodiversity, etc. The ability to talk about these subjects through art is priceless to him, as it allows creators to spotlight sensitive realities in a way that is digestible.