Bo Joseph

Lives and works in Brooklyn, NY, USA

Artist statement

"I make abstract paintings, sculpture and works on paper as arenas for cultural symbols to interact across historical and geographical boundaries. From sources such as books, auction catalogs and online photographs, I reappropriate images of objects that embody what I refer to as 'archetypal charge:' energy infused in them that reflects the beliefs and values of their makers while also evoking universal underpinnings and interconnections. I transcribe and mingle outlines or silhouettes of these found sources and submit them to techniques involving chance and deconstruction to erode dogmatic associations. My techniques are a symbolically ritualistic reminder of the inevitability of cultural entropy, yielding unexpected relationships and new hybrids, and leading me to an almost therapeutic acceptance of cycles of loss and reclamation. As a visceral investigation of my own evolving relationships with these symbols, my work reflects on how beliefs filter perception and affect how society compiles collective knowledge. "Since much of the imagery in my work is of cultural objects that have come into purview because of societal friction points, conflict, and outright plunder, I look for ways to open discussion around issues of cultural appropriation, authorship, and visual sovereignty. By hybridizing imagery from cultures that were often destroyed or corrupted through contact, I aim to address a paradox – I endeavor towards universality while acknowledging the complexities of...

Artwork