Bo Joseph

Interpretation

Dominated by the color red, this drawing uses line to describe both the space in the work and the shapes within it. In his Holding Spaces series, Bo Joseph references photos of public and private collections of “tribal art,” in particular the sculptural arts of Africa and Oceania, which are directly tied to colonialist histories. After working out his composition, Joseph applied and removed media to sheets of paper by coating, scraping, and rinsing. He then reassembled the sheets and added more line work with oil pastel. 

It can be hard to discern what is being depicted here. Joseph has commented that his work shows “cultural objects that have come into purview because of societal friction points, conflict, and outright plunder throughout history.” 

Acquisition note

Bo Joseph studied under Alfred DeCredico, who taught drawing at RISD for many years. DeCredico had a lasting impact on Joseph, and they maintained a close and collaborative relationship after Joseph’s graduation. With this gift of his own work, Joseph also gave nine works by DeCredico.

In his teaching, DeCredico underscored that drawing can be just as important and vital as painting and sculpture, a conviction clearly evident in Joseph’s work.

[CM]