Joe Rowell Artist Statement

Ultimately I strive to make art that is uninhibited, uncontrived, free of outside constraints and to find that Zen-like process that will help me to produce art that transcends the mundane. Drawing I believe, is an extension of the psyche and I am constantly looking for something in the subconscious to manifest in one of my drawings. My work usually is narrative in nature and sometimes allegorical, whether or not I intend it to be. I prefer to work disegno interno, or from the mind, leaving life drawing for study or a way to bridge the void that is artist block. My subject matter is of classical mythology, antiquity, hermetic art, religious art, paranormal, supernatural, and rarely deals with the contemporary.

Currently my work is mostly done in graphite, ink and watercolor, which is worked on distressed paper that I have saturated in tea, coffee, and non-waterproof ink. I try to embrace most mistakes, work spontaneously, and draw without consciously trying to control my mark-making. I believe if art is human and human beings are imperfect, then art should be imperfect because it appeals to our souls.