Artist Statement
I use acrylic painting to create images that begin from an autobiographical point and morph into surreal and illustrative scenes in which characters and objects of broad cultural references interact within cryptic tableaus activated by text fragments. When approaching the work, the viewers have to pour a part of themselves into the story to inform the narrative within each scene and define each character's agency and circumstances. We use stories to represent us. We appropriate stories from a broader social sphere to understand ourselves better, folding their arch and morals into our narrative. In doing so, we use those stories to better understand ourselves by drawing parallels between us and the story's characters. I want to work with the viewer to build stories and explore meaning.
About Josh
Described as elusive and happily odd, Joshua's work echoes the philosophy of absurdist playwrights and deconstructed sets. Receiving his Master of Fine Arts from Louisiana Tech University in 2009 and his Bachelors of Art from Northeastern State University in Oklahoma, Joshua's work has been published in New American Paintings, Creative Quarterly, and Studio Visit Magazine. Chambers' work can currently be found in Graphite Galleries in New Orleans, Ann Connelly Fine Art in Baton Rouge, and The Agora Borealis in Shreveport Louisiana. His works are in the permanent collections of the Masur Museum of Art in Louisiana, the Lessedra Gallery in Bulgaria, and numerous private collections. Chambers lives in Bossier Parish with his wife and daughter.