Joe Pease
Joe Pease is a self-taught artist from Australia, now based in Southern California, whose surreal multimedia practice is right at the intersection of the familiar, and subsequently interrogating it with the absurd. His work employs a refined layering technique that transforms common, everyday tasks and scenes into the most enigmatic visual narratives, seemingly effortlessly combining all kinds of elements of people’s behaviours, nature, architecture, and urban environments.
Utilizing motion graphics software to sculpt textures and dimensions reminiscent of early home video aesthetics, Pease constructs compositions that reveal multiple strata of meaning. His method is rooted in a careful choreography of color, form, and recurring motifs and invites viewers to navigate between the small deeds and details of quotidian life and the more elusive undercurrents of the human psyche in our doings. Early influences from skateboarding culture and innovative filmmaking, notably the impact of Girl Skateboards’ creative experiments, echo in his approach to digital storytelling.
2024
2024
2024
2024
Recurring themes in his oeuvre include the exploration of temporal flux and the recontextualization of mundane tasks and experiences, that most people do without thinking and maybe without wanting to. Works like All At Once and 11:22 am exemplify Pease’s capacity to synchronize disparate moments into looping, hypnotic collages, where the chaos hits first but is coexisting with a feeling of calm through the flow of the occurrences.
Pease was recognized early in his career by being selected for Saatchi & Saatchi’s New Directors Showcase in 2013 and has collaborated with brands such as Nike, Patagonia, and Adidas. His work has found resonance in both traditional and emerging digital spaces, reflecting a deep curiosity about the world and exploring the mysteries of the human life and psyche.