Josh Jenkins

“As long as they are feeling something - that’s the point.” 

Primarily focused on self-expression, the work of Josh Jenkins is strong, raw, violent, and rough. He uses mixed mediums and vibrant colors to explore themes of sexuality, self-reflections, religion and emotions. 

Dof, Digital Print. 2011

GE: You graduated almost two years ago with a B.A. in Digital Media and a minor in Studio Art. What has life after college been like for you?

JJ: Life after college has been kind of been a non stop whirlwind for me. I was interning at a gas & electric corporation for the last two years of college. Right before graduation, I was asked to interview for a new graphic design position in the company that they were opening. Unfortunately, a month after the interview and after graduation, I found out that I didn't get the job. Not only was my internship coming to an end, I had no other job opportunities in the area. I ended up having to move. Luckily, my sister in Philadelphia let me stay with her for six months as I tried looking for a job. However, the jobs in Philadelphia for graphic designers was extremely limited and the only thing I could find was a part time job at an Urban Outfitters making minimum wage. Finally after deciding to give up job searching in the North East I expanded my horizons and found a job in Louisville, KY as a full time production artist and graphic designer. Life since then has finally been where I'd expect to be after college. I'm currently living on my own (well with housemates), have a full time job, a new car, my own insurance, rarely ever money for art supplies and well, lots of debt I'm paying off from student loans!

JAMES-etta, Digital Print. 2011

GE: Are you working at a job that utilizes your creative skills?
JJ: I work for a marketing company that mainly works with car dealerships. I'm able to use my skills from my digital media degree, but unfortunately the creative aspect of the job is extremely limited.

GE: What’s your dream job?
JJ: To be a successful artist where I can create art all day.

GE: What type of media are you currently working with
JJ: Due to living pay check to pay check I'm kind of restricted to using the computer to create my art. Currently I've been playing with multimedias (photos and vector art using a tablet). 

Testosterone, Digital Print. 2011

GE: Which artists do you look at for inspiration?
JJ: I've always been inspired by street artists like Banksy, but always look back at the masters like Picasso. Some of my most inspiring artists are Basquiat, Warhol and Dekooning.

GE: What role does your personal life play in the creation of your art?
JJ: A lot. My artwork is highly influenced by my personal life, experiences, and thoughts.

GE: Are you looking to evoke particular feelings in your audience?
JJ: I just want people to feel something when they look at my work, whether it be discomfort, fear, sadness or anxiety. As long as they are feeling something - that’s the point.

GE: how has your art changed in the past year?
JJ: My work is always evolving. I think the subject matter has stayed the same, but the process and medium has definitely changed from using traditional materials like oils to experimenting with every day art supplies like colored pencils to using the computer.

GE: Can you describe the process of making one of your pieces?
JJ: Currently creating work on the computer, my process has evolved some, but it starts off with creating a simple vector background, using my own or found imagery, vectorizing it, then using a tablet and drawing over the imagery. I work in a lot of layers and spend a lot of time changing colors and the order of the layers trying to get variations and seeing which one works best for the individual piece. 

Jambalaya, Digital Print. 2011

GE: I understand you were involved with the founding of the Hudson Valley Artists group. What led you to create HVA? What about the work of Hudson Valley artists do you find unique?
JJ: The last year of college I started to discover the local art scene in the Hudson Valley. I also befriended a local artist that was very prominent in the art scene. I think being friends with him and discovering the Hudson Valley art scene, I realized how there were so many artists and a lot of people didn't even know of each other. So using my connections with my friend, and my skills in website, I decided to put together a Facebook page and website for local artists to share their work and let themselves be known. I think what is unique about the Hudson Valley artists is that they are all so unique themselves. The Hudson Valley holds such a wide range of artists from all over the U.S. and the world--successful and not so successful (but all amazing artists).

GE: What cities in the country or the world do you feel have an important art scene and why?
JJ: From my own experience and knowledge, the only city that I know of personally that I think has a important art scene is in Syracuse, NY. The art scene, and the city itself, is small, but surprisingly prominent. I just see a lot of great artists developing in the area and large sense of pride.


To check out more of Josh's work, 
visit: http://www.hvartists.com/jenkins/index.html