Jason McCoy Inc. is pleased to present recent abstract paintings by Bo Joseph with antique African sculptures, which were selected by the artist from important private collections.

Joseph's six paintings and one large drawing exemplify his abstracted efforts to reconcile diverse and esoteric ideologies and cultures. Ritual African art is one of Joseph’s many archetypal touchstones, which he sources from reproductions in books or auction catalogues. He sees these artifacts as distillations of cultural wisdom that transcend their function. Through rigorous techniques he deconstructs and hybridizes these forms to examine how their essences might persist. By presenting Joseph's works in juxtaposition with African art, this exhibition brings the dialogue full circle.

"I have always been compelled by collisions that occur at the intersections of seemingly disparate phenomena. Repeatedly, I find unions unfold which surpass initial disparities. In the case of African art, I am fascinated by how these emblems of mystified knowledge transform each time I experience them in new contexts. I am grateful to the lenders for affording the intersections in this exhibition.”

Joseph's process is a kind of synthetic archeology, with the burial and excavation of referential imagery. He begins by superimposing stencils and outlines of objects, creating elaborate hybrid configurations. These organic and heavily layered conglomerates evolve through techniques that repeatedly put the image at risk. By using de-constructive techniques like rinsing, sanding and masking, Joseph alludes to the transience of reality. The compositions are at once ethereal yet familiar where unexpected contexts are initiated and new understandings can be discovered.

A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, Joseph has exhibited throughout the United States. His work is in the collections of the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City, MO; The Springfield Museum of Art, Springfield, OH; and the Guilin Art Museum, Guilin, China. Joseph lives and works in New York City.