Fear No Art | Going Behind the Scenes with Joe Yorty

TL;DR

Joe Jordy discusses his artistic practice and the use of found materials in his work, emphasizing the performative and queer aspects.

Transcript

hi i'm laura bullock i'm the curator for fear no art civic engagement histories currencies and today i'm here with joe jordy to talk about his work welcome joe thank you so joe was born in southwest utah and basically grew up in san diego he got his mfa from ucsd in 2013 and that's where i first met him and currently he is the founding creative dir... Read More

Key Insights

• 💦 Joe Jordy's work incorporates performative elements and engages with the concept of performance, despite not considering himself a performance artist.
• 😒 The use of found materials and objects is a significant aspect of Jordy's artistic practice, with a focus on collecting and the pathos of discarded items.
• 💦 Queerness is a recurring theme in Jordy's work, evident in the representation of queer bodies, such as wrestlers and male figures.
• 😘 Minimalism plays a role in Jordy's work, with a mixture of high and low art aesthetics, and an exploration of the relationship between minimalism and kitsch.
• 🤠 The blue boy collection and its connection to queer history add depth to Jordy's work, evoking nostalgia and personal relationships.
• 👻 The ghosts collection symbolizes the covering up and revealing of queer bodies, navigating the world with a sense of concealment and passing.
• 😒 Jordy's use of different finishes, including high pressure laminate and paint, adds visual diversity and reinforces the cheapness and kitsch of his chosen materials.

Questions & Answers

Q: How does Joe Jordy describe his work as performative?

Jordy initially didn't consider his work as performative, but he recognizes the performative and interactive nature of his pieces, with collections of figures engaging in staged vignettes.

Q: Does Joe Jordy always work with found materials?

No, Jordy started working with found materials before graduate school, mainly inspired by the digital world and the use of found imagery. Before that, he studied photography and created projects based on found images.

Q: What attracts Joe Jordy to certain collections of found objects?

Jordy is drawn to collections of objects that have little value, often found in thrift stores and dumpsters. He sees an element of absurdity and pathos in these objects, which he incorporates into his work.

Q: How does Joe Jordy incorporate the themes of queerness into his work?

Jordy's collections, such as the toys and male figures, directly connect to queerness through their sexualized and idealized portrayals of masculinity. He explores the relationship between queerness, kitsch, and the use of minimalist forms.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Joe Jordy is a curator and artist known for his work with found materials and objects.

• He discusses his use of performative elements and the connection to performance in his work.

• Jordy explains how he started working with found materials during his graduate studies and the significance of collecting objects.

• He highlights the themes of queerness and the pathos of his found object collections.