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Artist Name:
Joseph Minton
Artistic Style:
Expressionism \ Abstract Expressionism
About the Artist:
The Expressionist works of Joseph Minton
The expressionist artist Joseph Minton is best known for his use of bold
lines, dramatic color and melancholy subject matter. His art tends
to tell
the story or a darker view of life as he paints images of mankind in its
most fragile and exposed states. The artist paintings at first
glance may
appear dark, morose or unpleasant; but after closer examination their
true
beauty is revealed as one considers the complexity and delicate nature
of
the emotions conveyed through the paintings.
Minton is an expressionist / abstract expressionist artist who revels in
depicting raw emotion. He seems to almost condense the emotion
displayed in
his works into is purest form allowing the view to not just see but feel
what his artwork. Perhaps the artist's style can best be summed up
in his
own words.
"I believe that art should be more then just brush stokes on canvas
showing
a precise and literal duplication of an event or location. Art, or
true art
I should say, is far more then that. True art captures emotions,
feelings
and the energy of the object, setting or event that is being depicted.
It
goes far deeper then the cold, flat surface of duplication. True
art has an
entity of its own, it is alive, and has the ability to speak, effect,
move
and convey emotions to it's viewer. This is why I personally
choose to
paint in derivatives of expressionism."
Born in 1974, Joseph Minton is a self taught artist who began painting
at
the age of 18. Though he has no formal art training he quickly
began to
master the use of oil paints formulating his own techniques combining
semi
transparent color washes with bold lines. In many of his works you
will
find his signature paint streams that seem to emphasize a dichotomy of
precision and lack of control. His works are also commonly
recognized by
his use of heavy texture seen in works such as "Inside" and "The Drunk
2".
When asked why he paints Expressionist works, Minton answered "Though I
greatly admire and appreciate other art forms, expressionism is the one
style that really speaks to me. When I look at the works of Edvard
Munch,
Vincent Van Gogh, Emile Nolde, Ernst Kirchner and Egon Schiele I am
moved.
Expressionist works can grab hold of your hart, they can make you
sympathize, relate, cry, smile, reconsider, contemplate and cringe.
There
are few things in this world that I enjoy more then viewing a painting
and
have it make me feel something."
Unlike most artists, Minton is unusual in the sense that he does not
attempt
to sell his art or display his works in galleries. Instead he
paints purely
from the desire to create and to expel the images that enter his mind
into
something tangible. He considers his work to be very personal and
feels
that it is not meant to be accepted by the masses but more appreciated
by
the few. Minton explains this when he says "I consider my work to
be a
success when I can spend hours looking at it yet still not become bored
with
it. I believe that art in it's most simple terms is the
combination of
emotion and creation, life's two most precious and beautiful gifts. The
most
sensitive and passionate people have the greatest ability to either
create
or appreciate art. In a way you allow people to see who you truly
are when
you paint in an expressive manner. You allow the viewer to see
things that
you tell no one, witness your pain, joy, love and sadness. They view
your
soul, the depths of your mind, your highest highs and your lowest lows."
For additional details on the artist or his works, please contact
mintongallery@cox.net
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Additional information about the artist:
Inspiration for my art work comes from a variety
different places. Predominantly from personal experiences that I have
had in my life but also from other forms as art such as music,
photography and video. Many times ideas from my work will be purely
fictional and come from somewhere deep in my mind. I will often
times start my works with a sketch and then transfer that to charcoal on
canvas or what ever medium I happen to have selected. I have worked with
such materials as paper, wood, metal, plaster, canvas and glass. I
find that anything that paint will adhere to is fair game for a
painting. When creating art there is no need to confine yourself to
traditional canvas or paper, art is meant to expand and push
conceptions. My nationality is 50% German, 25% Irish & 25% English.
I enjoy the music of Depeche Mode, Third Eye Blind, The Cure, Smashing
Pumpkins, Interpol, Morrissey, The Smiths and Interpol just to name a
few. Often music inspires and provokes artistic creativity for me.
Some of the people who have inspired me in my life are Thomas Minton,
Brigitte Minton, Andy Minton, Bryon Minton, Martin Gore, Edvard Munch,
Michael Wood, Ed Grant, Patrick Morrissey, David Gahan, Billy Corgan,
Robert Smith, Jim Morrison, Carlos Dangler, Rembrandt Van Rijn,
Vincent VanGoo, Josef Geist, Robert Baker, Kerry Smith, Helmut Geist and
Carl Rudolph. |
