I went to see the final show at Brooke Berman Gallery a couple of weekends ago without really putting a lot of forethought into what would be there. I was stunned by the greatness of this guy Josh Fletcher's work. His new web site isn't up and running yet so I'm interspersing a few images from his current show in this week's episode of Greatness...

Richardson Heights: What is your favorite color?

Josh Fletcher: I do not have one favorite color - I mainly enjoy they way colors interact in relationship to each other. If I had to seclude my self to one color I would still be stuck saying I like many different shades of green.

RH: What is your studio situation like right now?

JF: I bought a house in January of this year - so I have a lot of open space to work with - I mainly work in my garage, but I do have a separate room set aside for painting and storing of my artwork.

RH: What do you feel when you tell non-artists that you're an artist?

JF: I always enjoy running into new faces; artist and non-artist alike - I think my biggest reaction to telling someone I am artist would be the expectation from that individual to always have to explain my "style" or genre of art - where I show work - and then I normally have to hear a short story, of sorts, about their art past.

RH: How do you go about managing your inventory of completed works?

JF: As of now I have a stock pile of older paintings - they stay neatly packed away for reference and to be reused for frames or ideas. I use my home as my own private gallery most of the time, which tends to drive my wife a little crazy.

RH: I'd like to know how you did that crackly background job in some of the painting in your current show at Brooke Berman. It looks like the effect of varnish when put on oil paint before its dried. How did you do it with acrylics?

JF: I can't explain my way of making this happen, it is my little secret - let's just say if you really look into it and go to the right stores anyone could figure it out - it is just a matter of application after that point - and generally adds an extra 2 days to your timeline for that painting.

RH: Can you tell us about your process in developing the rich geometric background areas in your paintings?

JF: I started developing my backgrounds from suburban neighborhood schematics / blueprints - and actually the semicircle-like lines that are in a few of my pieces are taken from @ symbol, which initially developed from my concept of technology as a major influence in my work - Most of all I wish to display a static image juxtaposed in a vibrant color ground that makes my selected imagery jump off the canvas.

RH: Would you talk a bit about where you find the "illustrative influences" for the subject of your paintings?

JF: I scan through many unrelated picture books, comics, illustrated novels, and online library resources to narrow down my search. I am constantly exploring forgotten artist who may have never gained recognition in their own lifetime. These artists illustrated and conceptualized many great stories that reached out to many people throughout a multitude of generations, then later to me in my paintings. I really champion the illustrative work produced during the turn of the century in America, Germany and Holland. In saying this I mean that this style or type of illustration holds a certain sense of implication or meaning, portrayed from that time period that is weighted in its subject matter and can easily be relatable to happenings of our day to convey an overall message of unrest or discontent that I strive to bring out in my work.

Josh's work is currently on display at Brooke Berman Gallery through some time in January.