Today we’d like to introduce you to Joshua Kight.
Hi Joshua, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I got very interested in comic books as an 11-year-old. I decided I wanted to be an artist. I majored in art in college and graduate school. I started having shows with my paintings in the Austin area in 1982. I worked very hard and my style evolved over the years. I like having content in my work as opposed to being non-objective. My latest pieces are what I call “Night Pictures”. They are inspired by my walks at night under the stars. Typically, I have planets and comets blown up to ridiculous proportions and figures who are having the planets and comets go through them, around them, in their eyes, mouth or even on the top of the head. This is a way of comedically suggesting a communion with the night skies ala Van Gogh’s “Starry Night”. Before that, I created what I call my “Great Plain ” series which involved animals of the great plains but a very modern take on them as well as mythic western plains characters like Annie Oakley. My work makes people laugh, or back up in surprise or stare at the bizarre combinations. I grew up in Virginia Beach, Virginia, in a southern family that loved telling stories. I moved to Austin, Texas in 1976.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has not been a smooth road but my passion for it has carried me. I taught art in schools for 35 years or so and lost sleep painting in my studio. I raised 4 kids as well, so time was a precious commodity. Somehow I kept all those balls in the air. I have had many shows over the years all over Texas and the rest of the country. Every show is a “comeback” in a sense.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My use of color is unique. My interest in content and the way it is presented are original. At many of my solo openings, I have also done poetry reading. I have had several poems published. I believe I am known for the aggressive qualities of my work and its imaginative approach to figure drawing and painting. Several of my paintings are built out into 3-D configurations, challenging the categorization of them. Are they paintings or sculptures?
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
It is a challenging environment for drawing and painting right now. I believe the original hand done art object will become more precious over time for its humanity.
Pricing:
- $1 per square inch.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.joshkight.com
- Instagram: @joshuakight
- Facebook: Joshua Richardson Kight
Image Credits
Joshua Kight
