ABOUT MY WORK:
STATEMENT JOSEPH LAWRENCE
www.lawrence-studio.com
If asked about my philosophy, I would say that I was a Romantic. Like the Romantics, I have no religious affiliations, but I do feel a spiritual connection with nature. My concern for the environment and distrust of technology is a part of this belief.
Use of Symbolism: Symbolic imagery is present in all of my work. The most frequent images are of houses, trees, and roads. The houses are shown open to the viewer, with the positions of windows and walls implied or partially rendered. This is suggestive of an atmosphere of ever-present tension.
Additional uses of symbolism are present in my conceptions of landscape. Trees and forests benefit the environment. They are ideal signifiers of spirituality in nature. However, people have always personalized nature as having both beneficial and malevolent aspects.
The images of roads serve as a device to lead the eye in a certain direction. They also may depict the passage of time and function as a guide to life.
My Process: I use the same process for each of my projects. After making several thumbnail sketches, I decide what the basic theme will be. Improvisation and intuition are an important part of this process. As the composition progresses each element is continuously reviewed. For example, does the composition work well, is the light consistent, are the colors harmonious?
In summary, I am interested in spirituality, nature, and surrealism. The artists who influenced me most are Van Gogh, Hopper, Munch, Magritte, as well as folk and outsider artists.