Upon meeting Joe for the first time, I decided that he fulfilled my expectations being the quiet, soft-spoken, artsy guy that he is. More importantly, I was humbled by his humility after seeing his work. Initially, I didn’t know what to expect. Every artist has a unique style or pattern that they gravitate towards and that becomes evident after seeing multiple pieces of their work. The same goes for Joe but what got me interested is the story behind his inspiration.
Defining Ethos is a large representation of Joe’s upbringing and family background. When he said that he grew up Mennonite, I honestly had no idea what that meant. Living simply and modestly… what exactly does that entail? Joseph then took the time to inform me about his family’s lifestyle and the churches where he grew up in Phoenix and Indiana. The Mennonite churches are not known to be ornate and lavishly over the top but rather minimalistic and conservative in nature. Joe was particularly attracted to the wooden vaulted ceilings in his church and the way the diffused light emitted through the windows. After experiencing something so tranquil and calming, Joe decided he wanted his viewers to contemplate his work in a similar setting.
Photo Courtesy of Joseph Shetler
After spending time analyzing Joe’s work in person, I noticed that each piece took a lot of time, focus and patience. Each stroke of the pencil whether large or small, had a purpose to complete the full picture. Joe mentioned the significance of quilting in his upbringing and how the consistency, piecing, and quality of materials involved in the stitching process is portrayed in his drawings. This makes a lot of sense after observing the shapes and intricacies of each individual piece. Joe mentioned that people perceive his drawings to be the same until they spend enough time with them. Then, they realize that they are in fact different and each have their own character.
Photo Courtesy of Skyler Scott
Photo Courtesy of Skyler Scott
For a short period of Joe’s life, he was a museum guard in Washington DC. It was in that role that he recognized the artistic representation of many famous works of art. As a guard, he was able to spend time with the pieces and develop an appreciation for various styles and the history behind the curated art. This whole experience spurred him to create his own expressional pieces and that’s what lead him here today.
Being able to see Joe’s personal studio, as well as the warehouse of studios, was a very cool experience. Having a marketing background myself, I was never exposed to so many artistically talented people who live and breathe their passion, creating various forms of art. Peeking my head into each studio allowed me to envision the type of person that regularly occupied that space, without even having to see them. Just by looking at their creations, I was able to determine their style, personality and influences.
Considering Joe is graduating with his Master’s in December this year, he will have to give up his cherished studio space. We joked about him having to be kicked out of his studio due to his refusal to leave. He thoroughly enjoys his time in that room listening to television shows and music while continually getting lost in the creation of his drawings. In his studio, you can find painting supplies, a couch for napping, a bottle of wine, and a bookcase of reference materials, one book in particular by abstract expressionist, Agnes Martin.
Photo Courtesy of Skyler Scott
Photo Courtesy of Skyler Scott
Joseph spent countless hours working on Defining Ethos and defining what it means to him. Being able to produce the drawings and consequently describe the meaning can be a challenge, but Joe was able to do it effortlessly as we conversed.
Photo Courtesy of Joseph Shetler
If you are interested in seeing Joe’s work for yourself, he will be displaying Defining Ethos on December 5 from 6-9pm at the Step Gallery in Downtown Phoenix. You can also see more of his work on JosephShetler.com
