I make art as if a conversation were taking place between my mind
and my body. My mind understands the world around me in a very
ephemeral way, from a point of view which works completely with
concepts. On the other hand my body has a particular way of
working within this world, which does not use concepts, in fact it
works with very concrete materials. The process of discussion
taking place between my minds concepts of the objects of my
interest, and my bodies actual production of those objects within
an actual space, is the creation of my work.
My goal as an artist recently has been to explore my own
understanding of particular icons which hold special meaning to
me. Archetypal objects such as houses, furniture, stairs, plumes of
smoke or exhaust, and Jet airliners are metaphors for me, of my
place within the greater American culture. These icons are familiar
to everyone, yet I am quite sure that everyone brings a different
idea of the meaning of these objects. In some ways then, my art
serves as both a key, and a barrier to understanding me.
Joshua Smith-Brennan