I have seen Josh Keyes' work before but for some reason I forgot all about it until I stumbled across his newest work while stumbling around the internet looking for inspiration. I finally checked out his website and to my delight I discovered that he has posted images from his sketchbooks as well as his finished pieces. I love seeing the process other artists use to create finished pieces. My own sketchbook is a place where I work out ideas and dump a bunch of things I find interesting until I can sort out the connections I want to make between them. Josh Keyes gives us an insight into how he works and how he formulates his paintings- a rare glimpse into the often long tangled process of creating a final work of art.
To Me, Josh's work is like little slices of the present day apocalypse. It speaks to greed and waste and although humans are not present in his work (save his self-portrait) the aftermath of our existence is overbearing in most of his paintings. Each painting is a single element that ties into the fabric of a larger more ominous narrative. The story is clear and the imagery is undeniably powerful. Make sure to visit Joh Keyes' website to see more of the story...
