Joseph is a painter currently studying at the Victorian College of the Arts. Joseph works mainly with oil paint and loves creating texture through the build-up of many layers of paint.
While I’ve always been a drawer, it wasn’t until year 11 at school that I really became interested in making art. Year 11 was a turning point for me; however, I found that the VCE art curriculum dictated what I should do too much. This interrupted my creative enjoyment and progress. In year 12, I decided to make art about some of the negative experiences I was having with formal arts education, particularly around the ATAR assessment system. This was influenced by the fact that for many of my friends, the pressure to do really well at school and get a good ATAR score was having some negative effects. Many of my friends experienced anxiety and stress-related illnesses, like anorexia. Some were even taking drugs to keep themselves focused on this goal. My Year 12 final submission took the form of a postmodern video about the process of getting an ATAR. It didn’t go over that well. My teacher claimed she had trouble reigning me in. She didn’t seem to see what she expected to see in my work. I felt my work was measured by curriculum goals as opposed to experimental and creative ones. To be honest, I felt that she had missed the point a bit.
Despite these experiences and the disappointment they led to, Joseph is really focused on his artmaking. He is working hard to find the joy that comes from challenging his and other peoples’ thoughts about what it means to be an artist.