We are proud to exhibit Steve Joy’s new decadent collection Architecture of Silence in our St Ives Gallery.
31st March to 17th April.
Icon Study Olive Grove Mixed Media on Hollow-Core Wood Panel, 63.5 x 200.6 cm
‘So haunting are his works that we are summoned to them much the way one is drawn to the warmth and glow of an evening campfire. They possess an intellectual richness and completeness reflective of a life’s journey of discovery in pursuit of the self,’
John Brooks Joyner, former Director of Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha
Artist Background
Born in Plymouth and raised in St Anthony, Cornwall, Steve now divides his time between his studios on the Rame Peninsula and in Omaha, Nebraska. He has received international acclaim for his wondrously rich, glowing paintings. In addition, Steve has notable collectors in Norway and the US, which makes representing his work more astounding.
Inspired by Barnett Newman, Agnes Martin and Brice Marden, Steve is drawn towards Abstraction as a means to express his spiritual journeys through paint. His painterly sensibilities and use of wax, varnish, gold and silver leaf similarly echos traditional Byzantine painting techniques. The influences of Greek and Russian Icons and also the craftsmanship of Stradivarius’ violin varnishing techniques.
Little Icon Green Robe
Mixed Media on Hollow-Core Wood Panel, 38 x 25.5 cm
Little Icon Red and Gold Study Mixed Media on Hollow Wood Core Panel, 35.6 x 25.4 cm
Journeys to creating artwork
Steve’s carefully constructed abstract paintings of rich, harmonious colour emanate a transcendent quality. His recent travels inspire his new works. For instance, journeys to Patmos, Greece and the Sukhothai Temples of Thailand. A visit to the Cistercian Abbeys of France last year has also heavily influenced the collection. Offering a universal spirituality without direct religious reference. In conclusion, Joy explained in his presentation how he sought to ‘capture the sense of silence, contemplation and timelessness’ of the Cistercian Abbeys of France in his latest portfolio.
An avid traveller and enthusiastic cyclist, Steve’s time in the RAF and subsequent journeys throughout the Middle East, Norway, the Mediterranean, Mexico, Japan and the Maldivian atolls expose him to diverse cultures and foreign terrains. The architecture of Silence reflects such experiences and Steve hopes that viewers can embark upon their journeys. And above all, enter the spirit of these places while revelling in the fact that you need not to be eccentric to be extraordinary!
Architecture of Silence III, Mixed Media on Handmade 800 gsm Fabriano Paper 55.8 x 76.2 cm