You could be forgiven for thinking that Joseph Jones’ skilful and expertly crafted paintings are created by an artist with many years of experience. The reality is that the 17 year old artist, first picked up his weapons of choice, oil paints and brushes, only 3 years ago, during UK lockdown.
Joseph always knew that he was creative but never formally studied art. “Some of my earliest memories are of looking at different types of art, being taken around art galleries and museums, and being taught the techniques of the masters”, says Joseph.
“In 2020, when everyone suddenly had a surplus of time on their hands, I felt the pull to create for myself. I started watching popular tutorials on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube on painting techniques and reading ‘how to’s’ and experimenting. I am a competitive soul by nature and felt constantly inspired to ‘do better.”
After posting his own content on social media, he received online praise which encouraged him to continue painting, (even secretly painting whilst he should have been studying). At the same time, Joseph discovered and developed a deeper appreciation for grunge, the genre of music and accompanying culture and fashion that flourished in the late 1980s and early 90s. This edgy attitude and style of ‘keeping it real’, influences his work.
Keeping it real is paramount to Joseph’s work. His hyper realistic paintings convey feelings, emotions and capture the atmosphere of a fleeting moment, as though someone has snapped a giant polaroid. He paints a potential reality, as opposed to simply mimicking the exact look and feel of a photograph. In this way, the viewer is invited to become an onlooker, a voyeur, prompting them to create an identity and their own individual narrative for the subject.
The gallery has a collection of four originals that are on display from Thursday 6th February as well as being available to view and buy online.
Seventh Circle – Artworks & Aesthetics Ltd
10 St Marys Row, Moseley, Birmingham, West Midlands, B13 8JG
www.svnthcrcl.com // @svnth_crcl // https://www.facebook.com/svnth.crcl.ltd