Joe Sinness: It's All Wrong, but it's All Right
3rd Floor Emerging Artist Series
April 24 – August 15, 2010
Atrium Gallery
Artist Reception and Gallery Talk
Sunday, July 18 | 12:00 noon
FREE admission, open to the public
“My entire delight was in observing without being myself noticed — if I could have been invisible, all the better. I was absolutely interested in men and their ways, as I was interested in marmots and chamois, in tomtits and trout. If only they would stay still and let me look at them, and not get into their holes and up their heights! The living inhabitation of the world— the grazing and nesting in it— the spiritual power of the air, the rocks, the waters, to be in the midst of it, and rejoice and wonder at it, and help it if I could— happier if it needed no help of mine— this was the essential love of Nature in me, this the root of all that I have usefully become, and the light of all that I have rightly learned”
– John Ruskin 1
At first glance, the precise rendering and detail contained in the drawings of Joe Sinness communicate technical mastery and remarkably accurate execution, such that works including plant and animal forms appear reminiscent of 19th century botanical and naturalist illustrations. Equally well crafted are depictions of the human form and specific constructed environments, turning an eye to the surroundings of the interior versus the exterior. Integrated also into these drawings are layers of concepts that elevate the works beyond an exercise in draftsmanship. Embedded throughout these drawings are the sometimes-esoteric symbols used within gay culture. Although the included symbols often reference sex or sexuality, the images are not overtly sexual, and though one could read humor in many of the works, it is not delivered in one-dimensional punch lines. The titles of the works assist in revealing another layer of interpretation, invoking themes of transition, loss and longing. When the visual symbols in the artist’s drawings are considered, subtle conflict can be read across many of the works. Sinness explains that the “quiet tension in the drawings reflects the confusion and sexual subjugation present in contemporary gay life.” Despite the availability of symbolic representations that serve as allegory for gay culture, the artist avoids forcing a singular understanding of the work or of the associated community. Instead, his work welcomes engagement at any point in a continuum from technical appreciation to psychological and cultural awareness.
Consider the drawing All I Can Do, which presents a flamingo with a body constructed of, or covered entirely in, green and brown leaves. Though a plant and animal hybrid, the illustration has much in common with naturalist drawings in John James Audubon’s Birds of America or the Smithsonian’s Catalog of Botanical Illustrations. In these vintage collections, the scientific detail of the color illustrations are highlighted by their often blank, off-white backgrounds. Similarly, Sinness’ leaf-cloaked bird is positioned for meticulous examination of its body’s vegetation. Admiration for the artist’s skill with colored pencil on paper is a likely first experience with this work. Beyond this, a secret code of sorts becomes available within his works. Sinness presents visual symbols of gay culture, such as rainbows, disco floors, faucets, and theaters, to “project my own experience using code and camouflage.” The flamingo (a symbol) may itself be camouflaged and hiding behind feathers made of delicate leaves and branches, but not yet ready to be revealed in its true natural state. The representations in his work are not derived solely from stereotypical or recognizable symbols, but also include and embrace kitsch objects, contemporary icons, and personal events and memories. Consequently, the viewer does not simply break a code, but instead is invited to consider themes of personal and cultural relevance that extend beyond gay culture.
Subtle themes of control, body and self-acceptance vs. rejection, and relationship and isolation can be uncovered in his work. Sinness has described his practice as informed by conflict present within contemporary gay life as well as an ever-changing understanding and experience of his own physical being. In the drawing Somewhere Between, a molting snake moves between one plant and another, burying its transformed self. Beyond the obvious sexual reference, the transformative aspect appears vitally important, and is highlighted by the work’s title. In this and in all works in the exhibition, titles are appropriated from Dolly Parton songs. Reference to Parton’s work extends beyond recognition of a gay icon. Parton’s lyrics, though simple, are often highly personal, and at times profound representations of the human condition and the suffering and longing that can accompany the search for love, acceptance and meaning. As such, the titles introduce a psychological and emotional layer to the work. In Try Being Lonely, Sinness depicts an ordinary bathroom faucet streaming water upon a magazine image of a high-end designer fixture. The sexual read is humorous, with the magazine acting as erotic material. Consider though the lyrics from the Dolly Parton song of the same title:
Suppose you wanted someone the way I want you.
Just imagine your body, mind and soul breaking in two.
Walk the floor each night, shed tears you can’t conceal.
Just try being lonely, then you’ll know just how I feel.
More complicated than sexual attraction and frustration is the conflict and angst that comes with longing and loss. Could this instead (or in addition) be a tearful faucet? In his work, Sinness embraces the ambiguity and conflict, as in the exhibition’s title It’s All Wrong, but it’s All Right.
Whether or not a viewer detects, understands, or accepts the symbolic representation within this work, Sinness’ ability in the representation of form allows for a democratizing effect. If a viewer is disinterested in a conversation about contemporary drawing and sculpture, or about the meaning of work produced by a gay artist, issues of technical style and detailed form can pervade the discussion. This allows for a subtle invitation for engagement with the work, just as an advertiser might use humor to initially attract the attention of the viewer. Although there are layers of concepts available for consideration, Sinness considers his work allegorical and open for interpretation rather than a singular representation of himself or gay culture at large. He explains that he does not wish to “force a specific read or understanding of queerness, nor do I wish to speak for an entire community of people.” Consequently, the viewer is welcomed to consider the symbolic representations and construct personal interpretation and meaning. KD
Kris Douglas is Chief Curator at the Rochester Art Center
1 John Ruskin, Praeterita, vol. I, chapter I X (1885-1889)
Image: Try Being Lonely, 2009, Colored Pencil on Paper, 22 x 28 inches.
Artist Biography
Joe Sinness received his Bachelor of Fine Art degree in Studio Art and English Literature from St. John’s University, Collegeville, MN, in 2002, and his Master of Fine Arts degree from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Minneapolis, MN, in 2005. In October of this year, his work will be included in an exhibition at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts as part of the Minnesota Artists Exhibition Program. His work has been included in the exhibitions Land-escape, Thomas Barry Fine Art, Minneapolis, MN; Garden Variety, The Armoury Gallery, Milwaukee, WI; (No)Vacancy, ABC No Rio, New York, NY; Meander, Soap Factory, Minneapolis, MN; Portrait, Identity, Culture Across Time, Space and Meaning, Tweed Museum of Art, Duluth, MN; Untitled 6, Soo Visual Arts Center, Minneapolis, MN, and Greggia: Flight Patterns, College of St. Benedict, St. Joseph, MN, amongst others.
3rd Floor Emerging Artist Series
The Rochester Art Center continually strives to engage the community members of all ages in the creation, contemplation, and appreciation of the visual arts. As a non-collecting institution, the Art Center focuses its efforts on presenting temporary exhibitions throughout the year featuring established local, national, and international artists, as well as “emerging” artists from diverse backgrounds working in a variety of media.
In 2004, the Rochester Art Center initiated the 3rd Floor Emerging Artist Series—an exhibition program dedicated to promising young artists working in the state of Minnesota. Since its inception, the series has reflected shifting trends in contemporary artistic practice and production and has helped to facilitate the creation of new bodies of work in a variety of media including photography, installation, sound, painting, drawing, sculpture, and film. Now in our sixth year, the 3rd Floor Emerging Artist Series continues to support emerging artists and to provide a dedicated forum for the exhibition of exciting new work.
Rochester Art Center programs are made possible in part by a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board through an appropriation by the Minnesota State Legislature and a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. Major support is also provided by the McKnight Foundation and the City of Rochester.