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While working on his MFA at the University of Illinois, Joe Goodwin became interested in the work and ideas of C.G. Jung, especially his concept of the collective unconscious and his interest in dreams. Dreams defy physics and amplify experience with their ambiguous spaces, symbolic meanings, and sensations that seem to speak from and to a sixth sense. In this way, Goodwin realized how much painting and dreaming have in common, both in process and result.
We asked him a few questions:
Q: I’ve notice your creation process has a lot to do with dreams and subconscious perceptions. Can you tell us more about it?
A: I’ve compared my imagery to dreams because their spaces relate in unusual or illogical ways and the surfaces interchange between solid and vaporous. Objects and their makeup are metamorphic, much the way things can change and shift in a dream. I am often surprised by personal references that emerge in a painting from my unconscious. One example is, after a trip touring Cyprus I produced a number of paintings that had the characteristics of the light, color, dryness, etc of that place but one predominant shape dominated a painting - it was the shape of Cyprus itself. I had looked at the map for so long that shape unconsciously emerged as part of the experience and is a good example of how the psyche works when allowed to. You see, I don’t set out to make a painting of Cyprus or anywhere else I’ve been, I just start applying paint and recent impressions or inspirations come forth in color, texture, etc. If I allow myself enough freedom , painting goes beyond the formal and aesthetic into a dialogue with the psyche.
Q: When did you realize art was an essential part of your being?
A: Around three years old when my mother made me go to church every Sunday. I didn’t want to be there so the only way she could keep me quiet and contained was to give me paper and pencil. I could get totally absorbed and draw myself into another place. Later, when in school I used my art to get better grades by illustrating what we were studying in history, geography or literature. I couldn’t comprehend as much from reading as I could from images so instinctively I learned to off-set a learning disability. I thought I was cheating by doing something I really enjoyed and getting better marks as a result but at the same time I was developing an alternative way learning and navigating my world.
Q: What has been the most important thing in your career as an artist?
A: Most likely an invitation in 1989 to have a show in Frankfurt, Germany. A good friend from Austria, living in NYC at the time brought her friend, Hemma Ysenburg to my studio in Soho. Before Hemma left to go back to Germany, she asked if I would be interested in having a show in Frankfurt. Of course, I said YES! I had three months to create a body of work for my debut in Europe. I learned to work on more than one painting at a time and as a result, found that the work became more integrated and cohesive . Another advantage is the resolution to the problems in one painting will usually come by working on others, so this exhibition not only brought me some recognition in Germany, it prompted a more informed and productive way of working.
Q: What has been the most difficult part of being an artist?
A: Making a living. Painting sales don’t always provide enough to pay bills so some outside -of- the -studio work has to be found. I’ve been able to manage by doing some fairly interesting freelance work in several fields as needed but not so much to distract me from painting for very long.
Q: What do you find more important at the present stage of your career: More sales or being part of a Museum collection?
A: Today, it’s more sales because of the current economic crunch responsible for fewer sales and higher expenses. The immediate concern is how to keep going, but the museum collections are very important and provide a credibility or sort of stamp of approval that is most valuable to a mid-career artist like myself.
Q: What do you think that matters the most for an artist living in the XXI century?
A: Finding affordable housing and workspace in an area that is close to an art scene. Many artists have to make some sacrifices in their comfort and financial security to find a balance in making a living and making art. It’s an age-old problem that has perpetuated a stereotype of the artist as somewhat desperate. Many communities in the USA are beginning to see that artists are a valuable asset to the local economy and are developing incentives in the form of housing and tax breaks to attract them. I don’t want to appear as pre-occupied with housing and financial issues but being secure in my living situation has always been crucial to my ability to function well in the studio. It’s very hard to transcend one’s mind into the “flow” of making art when worried about the rent.
Q: Could you name your top 5 artists?
A: It’s a mixture of influences and those that inspire me:
1. Richard Diebenkorn, 2. Cy Twombly, 3. John Walker, 4. Howard Hodgkin, 5. Elizabeth Murray
Q: What’s more difficult, dealing with the business part of being an artist or managing insights, turning projects and ideas into art?
A: The business part. It doesn’t excite me very much. I do like meeting people and working with galleries but the clerical part is a chore. I don’t like processing photos of paintings and keeping records and mailing lists but it comes with the territory so I do
the best I can.
Q: What’s your long term goal as an artist?
A: To stay healthy and keep working. This is my way of life and source of well-being. I continue to seek exhibitions, new collections and museum acquisitions but I know I would continue to paint regardless of those ambitions because it’s a necessity of my life.
Q: What advice would you give to those artists that sometimes don’t know how to tread the unstable beginning of their careers?
A:To be flexible and resourceful. Don’t expect your art to provide a living for you but find a way to support yourself and allow your work to evolve on it’s own course. I’ve seen many artists use all their creative energy in a full time job and then have none for the studio. I took on work where I could use my creative abilities as an asset but was always careful not to launch a new career.
www.jgoodwinstudio.com
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