As we said goodbye to 2021 and the first year of the Couchdog Collective Blog we wanted to make sure our final interview was both personal and insightful. We wanted to connect with an artist that we have wanted to talk to for a long time. Joshua Searle’s shrewd and thoughtful approach to his art is not only reflected in his work but also his words. A full time Visual Artist whose work enticed us from the second we laid eyes on it. Even though the conversation took place within a glitchy zoom call, Joshua’s intent and perceptive nature was as clear as day.
As an artist Joshua isn’t overly concerned with the idea of definitions. A purposeful decision to not title his artwork is done to not place preconceived notions on those who view it. Same goes with the idea of putting a specific label on the style of his work. While placing classifications and genres on art can be a helpful tool to contextualise for those who create it is not a device Joshua wishes to place on his output. Instead, Joshua’s work is made to be viewed in more pure circumstance with clarity that isn’t clouded by description or over explanation. To respect this, we won’t spend time explaining the intricacies of his stylings and instead place some pieces below for readers to take in. Just look and feel.
Circumstance of living whether it be geographical, economical or any other myriad of context helps to greatly explain the influence of an artist’s work. This is something that has been touched on in all our interviews. Joshua’s Relationship to his home area of Rye (Mornington Peninsula) is important to what he does but in quite differing ways to what we have previously found with other artists. Joshua’s immediate comments were that the lack of diversity in his area of living had a fundamental impact on his art. Living in a predominantly white area made it hard for him to express a sense of diversity. A large majority of artists find inspiration from the scenic offerings of the Peninsula but from an individual with a differing background to lots of artists in Rye, his art comes from isolation and the discrimination he has faced growing up. In an environment with no tangible resource to draw from regarding diversity Joshua’s visual art has taken form to represent Black Greatness and Strength.
Joshua also utilizes the area around him for his art in a more literal sense too. All his creations are done on recycled materials that he finds. Throughout the zoom meeting there was a constant presence of a piece standing behind him in his personal studio. On further inspection we discovered that opposed to a typical Canvas the piece that Joshua created was utilizing an old door. An immediate eye catcher, the use of recycled materials was a keen point of interest to us. Beside the bonus of not contributing to consumer based fast art, having these materials as a canvas add both to the aesthetic appeal of Joshua’s output as well as his creative process. According to Joshua “Buying a new Canvas can be prohibitive”. It can cause you to paint with a sense of fear that you may make a mistake and must continue using another Canvas. Creating more waste. Recycled materials give a sense of freedom to the work whilst combating a sense of homogeny to the work. An added dimension that gives an extra bit of intrigue to the piece. Repurposing recycled materials extends beyond Joshua’s work as he built his own studio with the same ethos. Taking advantage of the mid lockdown cleaning most households seemed to go through, the studio was built off materials he found throughout the pandemic. A safe and creative environment where Joshua hosts friends and artists to create and explore their craft in a communal space.
Whilst conducting this interview two words that sprang to mind when talking about trying to make it as a career were Proactive and hustle. The second word being one that was bought up frequently when discussing Joshua’s current exhibition. Held at Southern Buoy Studios in Mornington, the exhibition would be his second fully solo showcase of his art. Taking the time to contact the venue and hustling his way to gain to deserved recognition that such a platform can bring. Engaging with creatives around you is the lifeblood of the arts scene and Joshua’s willingness to host a space for others as well as branching out to create avenues for others to experience his art is an exemplary way for an individual to navigate the world of a career artist. With this debut Exhibition Joshua Searles demonstration of the Black Greatness and strength that his work elicits can open doors for a broadened perspective and create space for a more diverse range of creators to operate in.
Follow the amazing artist here to see more of his incredible work.
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