We are excited to introduce you to Joey Matula! Relatively new to the Jacksonville art scene, Joey embodies the vibrant spirit of Florida. Originally from New York, Joey is an amazing colorist whose massive, colorful paintings spark joy and positivity in everyone who sees them. His journey into creating bright, vivid abstract pieces began as a therapeutic response to a cancer diagnosis in 2014. Even after becoming cancer-free, Joey continues to experiment with color, using his art to spread a positive message to all who encounter his work. His unique blend of abstract expressionism and pointillism, along with his unconventional techniques, make his art a dynamic and emotional experience. We hope you enjoy this Q+A with Joey.
FAC: Where are you from and how does that affect your work?
Joey: New York. I don’t believe that where I’m from has affected my artwork, it’s more who I am and what I’m passionate about that has impacted my art.
FAC: How has being a resident of Jacksonville influenced your work?
Joey: Working with brighter, happier colors. Being near the ocean and in a warmer climate has opened my eyes to every shade of blue and also an appreciation of softer pastels.
FAC: Did you always want to be an artist? Have you always used this medium?
Joey: In 2014, I was diagnosed with testicular cancer. While coping with this new reality, a trip to Prague infused me with inspiration. I began painting to alleviate stress and I found my raison d'etre. I always use acrylic.
FAC: Describe your creative process.
Joey: Using abstraction as a metaphor for self-expression, my acrylic paintings are often imbued with pointillism as grand vistas of familiar scenes transform into paintings that are bold, playful, rhythmic and full of balletic movement. My work holds a raw emotional impact. Sharp angular brush strokes full of energy are worked with intensity. Every color imaginable erupts onto my canvas with unrestrained power. Poetic grace becomes the goal.
Nothing in my art practice is conventional. Other than brushes, I frequently use sponges, wire brushes, sandpaper, drip bottles, cloth, q-tips and even my bare hands to build up layers of texture. A painting may be started on the wall, moved to the floor and back to the wall again for refinement and creations of pictorial allusion.
With classical music as my muse, the closing curtain on my paintings are my bliss and therapy. Art is indeed the best medicine.
FAC: Tell us about the first artwork you remember creating?
Joey: After being diagnosed with cancer I decided I needed a break from the daily stress of the situation. I planned a trip to Prague for my partner and I. I’m half Czech and had always dreamt of seeing the Czech Republic. On our first morning in Prague we walked towards the Charles Bridge. There is a beautiful park by the river which had a large sculpture with words in the English language “ WITHOUT ART THERE IS NO CULTURE “. I stood there and cried, Something inside came to the surface that day and will never be hidden again. When I returned from Prague, sorting out my emotions and life’s path forward, I went to an art store, bought supplies and painted a floral. My mother loved it and had it hanging in her home until she passed away. It is now in my sister’s office.
FAC: What experience has been most important in developing the direction of your work?
Joey: Being cancer free. Being given a second chance at life is such an amazing GIFT! I am so fortunate and grateful…….. know that many haven’t been given that chance.
FAC: Has the direction or style of your work changed since that experience?
Joey: Very much. I still push myself frequently to experiment with new styles.
FAC: What is one piece of advice you would offer to inspiring artists?
Joey: Keep painting, paint as if you are painting for YOUR wall. Never paint to please people, paint from your heart.
FAC:What's the best advice you've received?
Joey: Accept that I am an artist! For a few years I would just say I played around….even when I had work in a gallery that was selling. A well known artist told me to never call myself anything but an artist!
FAC: What motivates you to create?
Joey:: I hate to paint what has already been done. I love to stare at a work in progress and figure out what it’s missing and how to get the paint to express what I see in my mind. I have a saying “I don’t look at something and paint it, I paint from my mind. I want to CREATE, not recreate.
FAC:How do you know when a piece is “finished / complete”?
Joey: When I love it enough to hang it on my own wall
FAC: As an artist, how do you define success?
Joey: I guess there are many things. Winning awards, selling, but mostly it’s when people smile and tell me my work is original and makes them happy. One client told me that she was stuck at home through the pandemic and looking at my art on her wall brought her joy and helped her get through it. How could anything be better than that?
FAC: How do museums, galleries and other art spaces, such as Fogle Art Consulting/CX904 play a role in the world of a practicing artist?
Joey: Visibility. Having owned my own gallery in New York prior to moving to Florida, I understand the importance of proper representation and of aligning yourself with people who have the same appreciation for professionalism and incorporating artwork into a properly designed space.
FAC: What are some concepts/ideals that you want people to get out of your work?
Joey: Texture, layers, life, movement, joy, intrigue. HOPE. STRENGTH.
FAC: How do you find inspiration and joy in your own work?
Joey: Every minute of the process is accomplished through inspiration. The joy is seeing what’s in my mind take form on the canvas
FAC: What are you working on at the moment?
Joey: I want to do more “Color Studies”. Focusing on one color in a variety of hues and building the canvas with deep textures.
FAC: Do you have any upcoming projects you want to share/promote?
Joey: I have work that was featured in the film Oh, Canada. Oh, Canada is a movie starring Richard Gere, Uma Thurman and Jacob Elori. It is directed by Paul Schrader from American Gigolo, Taxi Driver and Raging Bull. I was approached by the art department to submit art along with other artists. Paul Schrader chose my artwork and three pieces appear in a section of the film featuring an artist in his studio. All three pieces are mine.
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