Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Pretty Macabre

by Kita

Fashion is one of the oldest forms of expression. In ancient times, and still today, it serves as a way to determine status and even where one stands in society. One of the more expressive designers that I've had the pleasure of meeting is Pretty Macabre, a woman whose name fits her style to a T.
 A dash Victorian, a dash mad hatter, a pinch of deliciously macabre, and ever elegant, her work is quickly propelling her to be one of the most beloved artists of the Salt Lake valley. Her work is all over in photographs, fashion shows, and even on local talent, including herself, a talented performer in her own right.
  She's a talented artist, and a talented artist is a gift to everyone. Luckily, she's kept her cool, and was kind enough to sit down and interview with us this week. Don't miss this chance to peek inside a wonderfully delightful mind and check out some of her gorgeous work in the photos below.

The Interview: 

Kita: How would you describe your artwork?

Pretty: Dark, yet whimsical with soft tattered accents and lace.

Kita: What first got you into designing?

Pretty: I began designing in junior high. I was always cutting clothes and trying to recreate clothing and dance costumes! Once I got into high school, I had enough experience to start sewing full garments and costumes. I knew I wanted to go into fashion design!

Kita: What were your goals when you started?

Pretty: I really wanted to be able to draft my own patterns! That is the hardest thing in the beginning, knowing what you want to make and trying to execute it. I mostly just wanted to make creative garments and have fun doing it!

Kita: How about now?

Pretty: I love seeing my costumes in a performance type atmosphere! One of my main goals is to, one day, have my pieces in a theatrical production show like Cirque Du Soleil or some of the other amazing traveling Aerial Cirque shows.

Kita: Do you get anxious to share your work?

Pretty: It all depends on the piece! Sometimes I'm just dying and can't wait for other people to see it! Other times I wonder if people will be ready to see it.

Kita: What is your biggest struggle?

Pretty: Finding amazing fabric in SLC. We are more of a cotton shop here.

Kita: How do you enjoy the arts community in the SLC area?

Pretty: SLC has an amazing arts community! I have been able to meet and work with so many talented creative artists! Some of which I've become good friends with and they consistently inspire me.

Kita: Are those closest to you supportive of your work?

Pretty: Very supportive! I don't know what I would do without all the support I receive from my family and friends.

Kita: Your work tends to have a (good) creepy edge to it. Where do you find the inspiration for that sort of thing?

Pretty: I think my creepy edge just comes from within! I've always loved the darker, more macabre things. I'm inspired by so many artists, photographers, and films! When something inspires me, and I go to create from that inspiration, usually something a little darker will naturally come out of it.

Kita: How do you handle the business side of things?

Pretty: I find the business side of things to be a little difficult. As the years go by, I learn more and more about it. I definitely feel like doing the creative design side more!

Kita: Is it hard to organize your art into different categories for shows with themes and the like?

Pretty: A lot of people have me do events because of my style of design. If there is a theme, I'm usually pretty good about switching into that mindset. With costuming you are always doing something different! That's what I love about it!

Kita: Do you enjoy collaborations or are you more of a solo worker?

Pretty: I absolutely love collaborations! I find it so inspiring to work with other talented creative people! I do very much love my solo work as well.

Kita: Once you have an idea, how likely are you to change it before the final production?

Pretty: Usually I see something in my head, and I try to make it exactly as I see it! But it can be harder to fabricate the things you see in your head into real life. Sometimes things will change and recreate in a slightly different way!

To check out more of this incredibly talented artists work, go to: PrettyMacabre.com

Have anyone else you'd like us to chat with? Suggestions are taken in the comments below! 

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Ischa Bee

by Kita

Ischa Bee is a unique personality, a shining sun on the Salt Lake City music scene. She rocks a voice that doesn't quit, a pretty face, and a shaved head, and I promise, she'll leave her mark on you. She's a voice for all women, and all people, in the music scene, through her involvement with MiNX, a two piece band that describes themselves as experimental, fun, and unapologetic. Their sound is true to that, with lyrics that are full of attitude, and a mix of sounds ranging the spectrum from synthpop to rock, even tossing in the occasional other influences, like rap or indiepop, and even some blues. They've made their own sound, and there's nothing better that an artist can hope to do.  
  On the first Friday night of every month, you can find Ischa at the Woodshed, where MiNX hosts "Ladies That Rock", a show featuring only female fronted bands. Otherwise, she can be spotted running all over this little valley in the Wasatch mountains, as she not only loves to perform, but to support others who do the same. Between photoshoots, shows, and supporting others, she's a busy lady.
  Still, she was kind enough to carve out a slice of her time for us, and we're extremely grateful that she did. Her perspective is one we couldn't miss the opportunity to share. So take a listen to that fantastic voice, and read on for more! 

The Interview: 

Kita:  How would you describe your artwork? 

Ischa: An expression of me, of my experience and perspective, and an effort to lay myself out to the world and connect in a meaningful, positive way with people who want to do the same.

Kita: What first got you into music?

Ischa:  I grew up in a very musical family- my mom got a scholarship for her cello-playing, and all of my siblings learned at least one instrument or another. I loved watching musicals growing up- I was even a little obsessed maybe. One of my brothers finally hid the VHS copies of "The Sound of Music" and "My Fair Lady", my two favorites, because he was so sick of me watching them over and over and singing along. 

Kita: What were your goals when you started?

Ischa: I actually only gave myself permission to take myself seriously as an artist (of any kind) about five years ago, at the age of 25. At the time I was really questioning where I had let my life end up. I was emotionally at rock bottom, and a couple of eye-opening incidents in my life and the lives of some of my closest friends at the time kind of triggered a 'mid-life crisis' of sorts. I was really low, and got to kind of a "Why not?" place, because I was actually pondering the idea of not existing anymore- and while that may seem really dark and sad, it ended up being really freeing, because I let go of all the reasons not to and became fixated with doing all the things I meant to do with my life but hadn't. I signed myself up for a couple of community education classes for some direction- A fiction-writing class, a song-writing class, and a hip-hop dance class. I wrote a book, joined a band, and started to indulge myself artistically. Considering how it all began for me, I think my goals when I started were simply to fill the void I had let sit empty for so long and finally pay tribute to my true me.

Kita: How about now? 

Ischa: I want to connect with people. I love people, and I love the connection that happens when you put yourself out there artistically and somebody relates to it in one way or another. 

Kita: Do you prefer the creation of music or the performance aspect? 

Ischa: I like performing my own material, so I always remind myself of that when I'm wading through the murk of creation ;) ... I generally enjoy both, but as most artists would probably admit, sometimes the creation process can be very challenging and draining. Working with Raffi is amazing, because he is so talented and driven. He definitely motivates and inspires my artistic process. I really do enjoy conceptualizing in general- taking an idea and turning it into something real is pure magic to me, and that includes everything from the writing process to the costuming to the photos and marketing- I love it.
That said, I feel like I'm a born performer. I love to sing, I love being on stage. So if I had to choose, I would choose that, but luckily I haven't had to!

Kita: How do you find yourself handling the mixture of business and art? Is that a mix you enjoy or would you rather just focus on one or the other?

Ischa: Since embarking on this journey and allowing myself to take myself seriously as an artist, I have found that many of my prior "real job" endeavors have given me some skills and business background that other artist might not have. I enjoy the balance of managing both, but I fully understand why artists who have more success hire others to help them with the obligations- there is a lot of work that goes into it.

Kita: What's been your biggest struggle? 

Ischa: Silencing the voices in my head that tell me that I'm not good enough and so I shouldn't even try.
Kita: What messages would you like to send with your work? 

Ischa: Live, love, try, fail, experience, win, lose, try some more, let it all out, share it with others, have fun~ I truly believe every human has the potential to be magic and has a vital perspective to share... I would want my work to inspire others to indulge their true self and share it with others. It's all about connecting.

Kita: How have you found the music scene, and also the general arts scene around SLC? 

Ischa: SLC is very arts-oriented for a lot of reasons, and I love that. There are so many people working hard to create opportunities for artists, such as inclusive festivals and publications and programs for youth. There are certainly some expectations for what types of art are acceptable or admired in our community, but that can also make it extra-fun to challenge those norms. 

Kita: Do you feel your work is well respected? 

Ischa: As much as could be expected. Once people see a show and get a feel for who we are and what we're about they generally respond very positively.
Kita: How about artwork in general? Do you feel the SLC scene is well supported and respected?  

Ischa: It's a mixed bag, and it certainly does depend on who you are, who you know, and who you work with. I would assume that some of the challenges we face here are fairly typical issues in any community- issues around gender, race, competitiveness instead of working together, stuff like that. But for any of those issues you can find just as many supportive, inclusive, loving people who want to work to create a scene together, and I feel very fortunate personally to feel surrounded by those types of people within our community.

Kita: How about those closest to you? Are they supportive of you? 

Ischa: Sure. First of all, I'm closest to Raffi, and we're in this together, so that's awesome. Also, I don't feel like I have a lot of pressure from anyone in my life to live up to any other expectations. Some people will always have something to say, an unsolicited two-cents to give, but in general I think the people closest to me always expected me to do something different- to do things my way.

Kita: What is your favorite thing about making music? 

Ischa: Performing it and having an interaction with the audience members. When people respond to your work it's amazing.

Kita: Least favorite? 

Ischa: Oooh, I totally drew a blank! Haha! There are plenty of little frustrations, like loading gear in the snow for a show, or having to perform while sick, or even just the sometimes draining aspect of creating the music in the first place- but I am happy to say that I sat thinking about this question for a minute and came up pretty empty!

Kita: You've become a relatively recognizable face in the SLC scene. Does that ever creep into your day-to-day life? 

Ischa: Very rarely in day-to-day, but I love going out at night and seeing lots of friends around town at shows and venues- people we've played shows with, the employees of the venues, the crowd. That's what it's all about!

Kita: How does day-to-day life mix with the art? Do you keep them very separate or is everything pretty mixed up?

Ischa: I like to think it's mixed up in a healthy way. I feel much more whole now that I have the means to express myself artistically, so I find myself doing less of the unhealthy or more obnoxious attention-seeking things I might have done years ago offstage and am able to get my fix onstage instead. I am able to let myself be casual-me most of the time and over-the-top-me as an artist, and I find balance through that. 

Kita: If you could tell yourself as a beginner one thing you've learned from your experiences as they are now, what would it be?

Ischa: To just let go already :)

Check out their Facebook Page here: https://www.facebook.com/MiNXBand

And their website, here: http://minxband.com/home

Upcoming shows and events will posted at the above links, so don't miss out, and check back often! 

Have someone you'd like us to chat with? Suggestions are taken in the comments below! 

Friday, December 6, 2013

Lyra Zoe

by Kita

When I think of color, or vibrancy, or life fully expressed, there is one person who pops into my mind no matter what. Her name is Lyra Zoe. A young woman who has studied many different mediums of art, and truly gone to exploring the meaning of art, she is truly an example of a cheerful, and vivacious young person. Always smiling and laughing, hers is a soul that seems to simply exude art.
  I have been watching her art grow over the years, and it has grown by leaps and bounds. There seems to be very little limit to what she can accomplish when she puts her mind to it. Paintings leap to life under her brush, sculptures tell many stories with her hands, and art becomes fashion, and more, a statement, with her guidance. She has truly immersed herself in art, in a way few people manage to.
  Lyra has sent a number of messages out into the world, but what I enjoy most about her art, is that it's so very versatile. Between jewelry and hair clips, and dance, and painting, and sculpting, she's worked a little on everything, and even created some things that seem to transcend titles. There is no one definition for artist. All art is art, and no one seems to embody that message more than Lyra. 

The Interview: 

 Kita: So what kind of artist do you define yourself as?

Lyra: A multitalented, multifaceted artist, I guess, because I use every medium that I can get my hands on.

Kita: What did you start with?

Lyra: I started out when I was a little kid, and it was mostly drawing, doing jewelry, and craft type art. Making little sculptures and cards, and it developed into drawing and painting. Then in college, in art school, it changed into sculpture and wearable art, costuming. So it developed into as much as I can do.

Kita: And when you first started, did you have goals?

Lyra: It wasn’t necessarily goals so much as, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” The answer was always, “Artist.”

Kita: What about now? What are your goals now?

Lyra: Now, I do. It’s not just do I want to be an artist, but I want to be a working artist. I want to be able to feed myself with my art, basically.

Kita: Do you struggle to find that ability?

Lyra: Yes, I definitely do.

Kita: What would you define as your biggest struggle?

Lyra: Well, I find it difficult, since I do so many types of art, to be superior in one medium. I’m okay at a lot of things, or pretty good at a lot of things, but I meet people that are excellent in one material. I don’t feel I have that, since I have so many interests. I just can’t put the time into each medium that I would want to.

Kita: Are the people around you supportive of your goals?

Lyra: Yes. My mom is an artist, and so is my sister.  They have been really supportive, and they’ve actually pushed me to find ways to use my art to support myself. They’re ongoing about that, they still haven’t reached that goal. I always grew up feeling that I could do art, that I could do it no matter what, and having somebody say, “Yeah, okay,” is great. I’ve known a lot of artists who parents are unsupportive and said, “I’d rather you do something else with your life.” It’s nice to have someone not only tell me to go for it, but to also understand why I need to do what I do.

Kita:  Because you do so many different kinds, do you find you struggle to meet the costs of so many different styles?

Lyra: Yes and no. Yes, because any art that you do, you have to factor in the costs of any materials. The more complex your artwork, generally, the more materials you’re going to need. And yes, because the more things you want to do, the more money you have to put down. But no, because if I can’t afford it, I can switch to a material I can still use that costs less.

Kita: As far as paintings go, what are your favorite things to paint?

Lyra: Predominantly, right now, I have two subjects. Those are people, and landscapes. It feels like, you know, “What else is there?” Well. There’s a lot. Predominantly, my work is figurative when it comes to dance. I mean, I am the figure. Costuming, I’m dressing the figure. Wearable art has a lot to do with human behavior. Sculpture is making figures or making something to go on a figure, or sometimes abstract. And painting is usually of dancers, recently, because I am also a dancer, or landscapes because I find them challenging.

Kita: Because you do so much, do you feel they seep into one another?

Lyra: Right now, I feel like they don’t, but it’s a goal of mine to make it happen. I want to overlap my different materials and the different knowledge I have of the materials to create something new. But at the moment, when I use a certain material, I only do one thing with it. And when I switch to a different material, I only do another thing with it. So, I really want to combine and overlap, I just haven’t mastered that quite yet.

Kita: So where does inspiration come from?

Lyra: All over the place. It depends on which medium. I know a lot of artists, and went to school with a lot of artists, and I feel like a lot of my inspiration over the last few years has been through artists that I knew. I enjoy looking through artist magazines, and when it comes to dance, I like watching dancers from other styles of dance that I don’t do. That helps me be inspired in my own style of dance. As a belly dancer, I like to watch modern dance, and the modern dancers help me to change little things in my own style.

Kita: So you also sell things on etsy. Do you ever find you struggle to make something marketable versus what you’d like to be making?

Lyra: Yes. The majority of what I put on etsy are things that I make to be marketable, and it’s funny because it goes back to the whole, “What do you want with art?” “Well, I want to feed myself.” “And how do you do that?” In art school, it was a very touchy subject, because you need to make the art that you want to make, not necessarily the art people want, so you can sell it. So it’s very back and forth. But I feel that I need to do both. I need to make art that will sell, so I can pay for the art that I’d like to make. On my etsy site, it’s mostly smaller things, things that won’t cost as much to make so that people are more likely to buy them, or things that people have told me that they wanted that I’ve made.

Kita: Do you find that running the business side of that weighs down on you at all?

Lyra: Yes. A lot of the time, it prevents me from posting things. Or trying to market things. I feel I’ve been able to help other people market themselves better than I’m able to market myself or my products. It’s probably one of the more discouraging parts of art. How do I get it out to people? How do I get them to want what I’m making and buy it? I have the hardest time figuring out how to do it.

Kita: Do you struggle to find balance between regular work and art?

Lyra: Yes, because what I want to do is sell my art as a job. Since that’s an ongoing struggle, I need a regular job as well. And when I have a regular job, it pulls time and energy away from my art because I often don’t have as much time as I want to, or the energy when I come home, to do it. So it’s either, have a job and feed yourself, or not. It seems like a lot of either, or. It’s really an ongoing battle to have a job that gives you enough time to still do your artwork.

Kita: Do you like collaborating with other artists?

Lyra: It depends. For dance, I like collaborative a lot better. I feel more inspired when creating pieces for more than one person. There’s a lot more layering, and ideas, and bouncing of ideas back and forth with another person. When it comes to painting, I prefer to be around other artists for their opinions, but to create my own pieces. I have a few other artists that I want to collaborate with, but it’s yet to come to fruition. It’s been hard to coordinate. I usually like to work on my own pieces, though, when it’s a visual art like painting or sculpture.

Kita: So what’s your favorite part of being an artist?

Lyra: Being an artist, I know that I am different. I am not only different from people as a whole, but from other artists. Because that’s the nature of being an artist, is being unique, of being able to have your own voice. Being able to say the same thing, but in a different medium. When it comes to making art, I guess it would be the way that it makes me feel. When I accomplish a project, or finish something, the gratification that I get, and how excited I will be to share with people. When it comes to making art, I have to do it. I can’t not do it. If I just don’t do one art form for awhile, at least I’m doing another type. I have to do constantly do something.

Kita: And least favorite?

Lyra: My least favorite about being an artist, is probably how many people don’t understand. They’ll say, “Oh yeah, you’re an artist, but what do you really do?” Or “So you’ve got an art degree. Now what?”  Or even, “You’re an artist now, but what do you want to be when you grow up?” It’s definitely a struggle to get people to understand the way you think. That is one of the hardest about being an artist. One of the things I don’t like about doing artwork is when something doesn’t turn out the way you envision it, or it takes several attempts to get it to work. You have an idea in your head, but you don’t know how to get it out and make it look like what’s in your head.  Or that once you do make it, people still don’t get it and what you’re trying to say.  Then again, when it does take a long time to get it done, when you do finally get it, it’s so rewarding. You’ll be yelling at your painting for hours, but you’ll go back to it and be so happy.

Kita: Do you ever get anxious to share your art with other people?

Lyra: Yes. The other night, I was painting this one piece, and I wasn’t even done. I’m still not even done. But I’d been painting it for a couple of hours, and I was really excited about this one part, since I had accomplished something I had never done before while painting. I wanted to share it with people, but there was no one around, so I took pictures and text messaged it to people that I know, who had given me support and critique in the past. I wanted to share, even though it wasn’t done, what I was making.

Kita: How do you like the arts community around here?

Lyra: Well. I feel like there are a lot of different communities, depending on what it is you do. So there is the dance community. And it’s not necessarily the dance community as a whole, it’s what kind of dance you do. So it’s the belly dance community, for me, and it’s kind of big, for what you would assume to find in Utah, but it’s also limited in a way. I feel the biggest problem with the dance community, and maybe even the other arts communities I’m in, is advertising to the general public. The general public does not know about a lot of what we do, so we are our own audience. As for painting and sculpture, there’s a lot of artists here, in Utah, and a lot of galleries and such. But still letting the general public know that you’re there and have people wanting to support that? A lot of people will tell you that you’re a good artist, but they won’t actually come to your gallery show or buy a piece from you. So that support, going by coming and watching a show, or going to a gallery opening, that’s the part the communities all seem to have a struggle with. 

Have someone else you'd like us to chat with? Suggestions are taken in the comments below! 

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Joshua Flicker

by Mandy

When I was in college many moons ago, I took a ceramics class.  I bought the giant brick of clay, and I made the obligatory pinch pot, followed by the slightly more difficult coil pot.  I was pregnant with my first child, a daughter, so I lovingly painted my creations in pink, yellow, and purple.  But I never took the leap to the potter's wheel, and I never got to take my sad little pots home.  Because I dropped the class after spring break.
Fast forward 11 years, and I happen upon the amazing work of Joshua Flicker.  An art teacher at Park City High School by day, his pieces have been featured at the Urban Arts Gallery, the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art, and at galleries in Jackson Hole and Kentucky.  As I admire his "industrial" ceramic work, I can't help but kick myself for dropping that class.  Why weren't they teaching me this?!
Josh has been experimenting with, and excelling in, a variety of art forms for decades.  The raw and gritty nature of his work calls me back to a blue-collar, hard working culture where men and women toil by the sweat of their brow, and carry home their lunch pails long after dark.  It's real, and it's dirty in a beautiful way.  If you have the chance to see it, you should definitely seek out Josh Flicker's ceramics.

Mandy:  What kind of artist are you?

Josh:  I know it can sometimes have a negative connotation, but I would say I am a tinkerer.  Many of my teachers from the past would not be happy to hear this, but I often don't start off with a sketch of any kind.  I have a general idea of what it is that I want to create, but the idea evolves as my artwork progresses.  
I try a lot of different things and a lot of different combinations of similar things.  I often build lots of little pieces and start assembling them almost like legos.  I move pieces around, trying them in different areas until they "fit."

Mandy:  When did you first know you were interested in art?

Josh:  I've always enjoyed making art, but in high school I was on a very academic track, and unfortunately ignored much of the arts until my senior year, when I had a little more flexibility in my schedule.  In college, I really dove into the arts and tried to take classes in every type of media I could.  

Mandy:  Who are your favorite artists?

Josh:  I think my favorite artists are always changing.  Sometimes I will stumble upon someone I never knew existed and they will totally change my view of what art is or can be.  Some of my favorite artists of the past I have abandoned.  Sometimes I really like one piece made by an artist and really hate their other stuff.  My current favorites are Kris Kuksi, Li Hongbo, Jim Koudelka, Ezra Caldwell (a bike builder), Steven Montgomery, Gaudi, and Tapies.

Mandy:  Where do you find inspiration?  

Josh:  Google.  I'm not kidding.  Also, just in things I stumble upon day to day.  Nature.  Industrial/mechanical objects.  Other artists.

Mandy:  Who or what else influences you?

Josh:  Everyone, everything.  Also no one and nothing.  Inspiration often just kind of burrows itself into my mind without me really knowing.  It also presents itself very slowly or in small pieces.  I can't attribute it to any one thing or one person.  It materializes from the combination of all the things that surround me.

Mandy:  What is your biggest struggle or obstacle as an artist?

Josh:  I don't think I have one specific struggle or obstacle.  Just a bunch of little ones that all pile together.  They are also not always what I would consider negative things; just things that take up my time and energy.  Like finances, kids, my wife being in school, teaching high school (my "real" job), biking, skiing, television, etc. etc. etc.

Mandy:  Are the people in your life supportive of your art?

Josh:  Fortunately, all the people in my life have been very supportive of my art.  However, I am not living the stereotypical life of an artist;  Someone who makes art all day long and makes their money selling that art.  If I really dove in and all of a sudden had to start living the "starving artist" lifestyle with all its romance and idealism, I'm not sure if that support would still be there.  I've never really had the guts to dive in to the art world head-first like many of the artists that I admire.  Maybe I should change my answer to the previous question.  Maybe that is my big obstacle.  Or maybe they also have real jobs on the side and I just don't know about it.

Mandy:  Do you like to collaborate?

Josh:  I love getting input from other artists about my work, but I have rarely collaborated with others on a project.

Mandy:  What are your goals as an artist?

Josh:  To get an MFA.  To make more money selling the artwork I create than teaching art to others.  To keep making art.

Mandy:  Are there any goals you've met so far?

Josh:  No. I always change them or add on to them.

Mandy:  If you couldn’t be an artist, what would you do?

Josh:  Everyone's an artist.  It's just not always visual.  If I had to pick a new form for my art, maybe it would come in the form of wandering the earth with no real destination in mind.  Just a chance to experience life in whatever form it presents itself.  

Mandy:  Describe the technical process that goes into creating one of your pieces.

Josh:  I have a few different styles that take very different approaches or techniques.  For my more industrial looking items, the first thing I do is look for items to make plaster molds from.  Many of these items are large nuts and bolts, pipes etc.  I also use a lot of plastic containers such as takeout boxes or rotisserie chicken containers, coffee lids, pretty much anything.  After the plaster molds are made I press clay into them, let it stiffen and then stockpile a whole bunch of little clay pieces that look like the originals.  Next I just start assembling all those pieces together.  
I often have multiple projects all being assembled at the same time.  After I get a few pieces together, I re-evaluate what I'm making and see what else I need.  I make more molds, hand-build pieces, throw parts on the potters wheel, then I start adding them together all over again.  It's like building with legos, but if there is a piece I really need I can just build it.

Mandy:  How has your process changed over time?

Josh:  Time helps you to get a better relationship with your medium.  You build a connection with it and can start to anticipate how it will react with more certainty.  My process hasn't changed greatly over time, but I think - I hope -  it is always becoming more refined, more consistent, for lack of better words, "better." 
It's also important to me that my work does not get stuck in time.  It needs to evolve.  It needs to change.  But hopefully, it changes slowly enough that it can still be identified as my work.

Mandy:  What themes do you pursue?

Josh:  Industry, nature, mechanics, change (seasons, erosion, time, age), and growth.

To see more of Josh's work, visit his website, or send him an email.