doth my eyes deceive me?

artist: Joshua Petker

I have to say i have a sexy art crush on Joshua Petker. in the know? born in Van Nuys in '79 and residing currently in silverlake, he is a die-hard Dodger fan, doesnt party too hardy unless it's at The Little Joy, he enjoys living in "Hollywood" because of the solitude it brings as well as the choatic close-to-the-edge feeling it is always on the brink of. must be why he loves the juxtaposition. i too, love the juxtaposition he brings in terms of the bright neon colors with the dark undertone of alot of his paintings. hot ladies with girlie colors lookin' all bugged out. verrrry nice. and althought some artists have tried that one a few too many times, i like the way he pulls it off. i dont feel like he is "trying." it just "is."

He says he doesnt start off by drawing his "figures" either, they just "are." almost like he is simply freeing the creatures that already inhabit his canvases. such a gift!

One of his major influences is the great Gustav Klimt who i am also fascinated with. you can certainly see the ties between the two without feeling you've seen it all before.

As many of the greats are concerned, they all usually have one major thing in common: they are not of this time. and by that i mean; they do not feel as though they belong to this day and age [the days we worship reality television and the desire to be famous simply for doing nothing at all.] "I used to say I was born in the wrong century.." Food for thought. one thing is for certain, he is a contemporary painter interested in historical themes.

What is he up to now? as we speak? well on August 5th Joshua helped out friend and fashion designer Jared Gold with a show made up mostly of exclusive couture pieces that were inspired by Johsua's paintings. he is also working on a series of paintings that he will be showcasing sometime in the Spring of 2010. during daylight hours, he focuses on watercolor painting becuase more often than not, he finds that he can really get into the groove later in the night. second wind?

be on the lookout for more of Joshua's work, i think he is BRILLIANT! and no Joshua, i dont think the world will wait until you are dead to enjoy and really appreciate your work, i am on a mission to get you noticed, hunnie!! take the world by storm and show us what you've really got!