Sobre el Artista

Joel's unique use of hand-cut vinyl as a medium has determined the style and direction for which his work has taken. As vinyl has the same finish as car paint, the use of car parts gives each piece he creates a sense of Realism, while at the same time, a sense of Pop Art Surrealism too - thanks to the accentuated highlights and reflections. The work also holds another contrast within each piece, that being the combination of a hand crafted look but still having a vibrant, modern and bold palette. Joel's inspiration simply comes from the life-long dream of wanting to be an Artist. There is no bigger force to inspire someone than knowing and being able to chase their dream. Influences can come from anywhere but Joel's background as an Art Director lead to an eye for good craft skills. Being such a new direction and style, at this stage it's still a case of trial and error to see what can/can't work and therefore subject matter is wide open. The influence though from the Pop Art movement is clearly visible and the use of colour is in some parts thanks to Hockney's daring use of it. Joel's career started at 16, when he left school to join a sign and graphic design company, where, he learned to hand-cut vinyl stickers for racing cars. This was quickly followed by 6 years at Art School, finally graduating from Central St Martins. A 17 year career as an Art Director in advertising led Joel around the world and working in some of the top 10 agencies. With only his first show (last November) at the Brick Lane Gallery, in London, under his belt, it is still very early days but with shows coming up and some regional exhibitions, his work is starting to make an impact and getting noticed.