Josh Beliso: Artist Statement
My work has sought to explore the monolithic nature of stone materiality with both movement and every-day popularities. As I investigate the malleability of this material, I combine my interest in contemporary object-hood with the fluidity of movement. Using an archaic medium such as stone to embody mundane objects has been both a love letter to materialism and a subtle critique. The great stone sculptors throughout history created grand art-objects and usually based on exaggerated tales. They depicted Gods, monsters, and vixens. Rather than immortalizing concepts from folk and lore, my work focuses largely on what contemporary societies tend to value most– our hairstyles, accessories, and ultimately, our identities. By representing these objects using a medium like stone, these trends take on new meaning, as they go from fleeting to timeless. A new space is created between low-end, mass-produced products and their transition towards the monumental, creating a newly realized context. As a result, I find myself producing luxurious versions of bargain-counter objects. This process reveals the tension between high-end and low-end, as well as how the concept of “value” is defined by object-hood.
Stone is powerful by design, and exudes a monumental quality even before it is touched by the artist or craftsman. Marble is earth in its most pure form, containing shells and leftover coral deposits, as well as bones from ancient organisms. The aesthetics of stone and marble can be manipulated, but their essence remains untouched. I am provoked by this entanglement of organic substances with an expanding contemporary culture that is becoming more and more defined by its objects. Additionally, I seek to test the boundaries of the materials themselves. The alchemy of material transcendence is to turn stone to milk, or a Q-tip.
My process starts in a moment of absurdity. Once a thought begins, I radicalize it into an unrealistic pursuit. It is only after I have entertained this absurd thought that I can begin to formulate a tangible idea. I often use humor as the catalyst for what I hope to create. I start with ideas that could be described as decrepit, goofy, and playful – working my way back with logic and rationality. Humor and play, like stone, is a form of purity. Like an earthly material, it cannot be faked, which any comedian in front of a human audience can attest to. The reality of existence continually subjects us to the perils of life, leaving us in a continuous state of seriousness. Humor and play are essential elements in a world consumed by fear and pain. All artists, in some way or another, interact with emotion in their work. Given the choice, I am most naturally drawn to humor.