About

Biography

Joan of Art is a painter originally from Rochester, NY. She received her BFA in Art and Design with a concentration in Painting from Binghamton University She works mainly with oil and acrylic and has experimented with various styles and forms of art. 

She didn’t seriously consider an art career until the end of her junior year in college, which inspired a new wave of motivation and exploration. In her early years as a student, she focused on realism, portraiture, and learning proper technique, but as she matured she gravitated towards abstraction and impressionistic art. 

She is currently exploring the connection between music and art, using the colors she sees in her mind when she listens to music. She finds classical music to be the best inspiration for a painting because there are no words to direct your subject matter—only instruments. 

She has had multiple shows at Binghamton University, including her recent BFA thesis exhibition and a heaven- and hell-themed exhibition in the Fine Arts Building. She has also exhibited site-specific works at local contemporary art venues including the Bundy Museum and the Spool Mfg. She plans to pursue an MFA after graduation. 

Artist Statement

The fundamental element of my artistic practice has always been an appreciation for beauty and womanhood. Although my narratives, choice of mediums, and styles have evolved and matured throughout my life, these themes have remained consistent. I have enjoyed working with various mediums such as printmaking, drawing, and mixed media, but I feel most at home when working with paint. I have fallen in love with the way paint can be manipulated, both in color and texture, to form absolutely anything. 

My current body of work is a series of bright abstractions that complement specific pieces of classical music. I use a palette knife to create texture and movement that correspond to the music, as well as the colors I see when I close my eyes. My entire life, I’ve been able to “see” a piece of music like a film, with certain movements and changing colors accompanying the melody and the underlying beats. Music also heavily influences my emotions as well, which in turn influences my art. Through this, my goal is to let go of control and perfectionism and allow the music and my emotions to guide my work as opposed to aspiring toward an ideal. 

I create art to experience the process rather than the result. On my twentieth birthday, my life changed forever when I almost died in a car accident. Through that experience I quickly learned what was important to me, and that I couldn’t waste my time with things that don’t bring me joy. That was the moment I began appreciating the process of creation for its own sake, and I wouldn’t change it for the world.