Etheard Joseph

Artist Statement

My subject matter is my emotions, thoughts, and dreams, and I paint because I must; they have to get out.

For each painting, I specifically choose shapes and colors that reflect how I feel when the thought or dream comes to me. Sometimes, I wonder what God looks like?

Do I exist on other planets and what would they look like? I choose to communicate these things in an abstract manner to the viewer because they are private.

I paint on large canvases because I have so much to say. Some of my paintings are created in groups of threes, yet each one is strong enough to stand on its own.

When I’m painting I use brushes, my bare hands, and other tools. That is the most compelling way to communicate with the viewer. I paint because it’s my destiny.

About the Paintings

Have you ever looked up at the sky on a late beautiful warm summer night, and been consumed by the universe?

While you are gazing at the stars, your mind starts to wander and you are unconsciously asking; why are we here, and where do we fit in?

Are there other Universes where I could also exist? and what would I look like?

I wonder what would happen to the human body after passing through a wormhole or a black hole. I have heard theories such as the body becomes spaghetti strings-like. These are just a few of the thoughts I have at times.

My paintings are a reflection of some of those thoughts and more. In some paintings, I use repeated brushstrokes of different colors over and over to mimic the body going through a black hole. Places I have been or dreams I have, shapes, colors I see, experiences I have, all of them metamorph when I paint. Some of the paintings take months to finish, I usually use a combination of oil and acrylic paints.

I use symbols a lot and specific colors in my paintings. I use titles such as infinite existence, Exhilaration, Passion, Daydream, Awakening, and many others to describe my work.

Every section of the canvas has a meaning, some are noticeable and some are hidden, which is for the viewer to find out. I use painting as a vehicle to express myself to the world without using words. I paint on large canvases, 3ft x 6ft, 8ft x 10ft even 9ft x 15ft, I will keep going bigger and bigger, each painting is a story and some stories have to be told big. Ultimately, when a viewer is looking at one of my large-scale paintings, I want them to forget everything else. I want the viewer to experience all of the things I was thinking about when I was creating the painting.

I want to pull them into my universe.