Interview with Joy Hutchins — Contemporary Art Curator Magazine

BIOGRAPHY

I’m a self taught artist who’s been creating and exhibiting my art in galleries and online exhibitions for almost 40 years. For the past several years my passion has been in creating digital art.

My two largest series are edgy and unique digitally manipulated portraits and abstracts. The work may include typography, calligraphic like strokes, symbols, tattoos, neon streaks of light and scribbles.

All of my work is informed by my interest in psychology and Eastern wisdom teachings that explores concepts such as duality, illusion, nature of reality,unity and identity.

I’m a native New Yorker currently living in New Jersey with my husband and two adored dogs.

PORTRAITS

All of my portraits are photography based and digitally manipulated. They may include tattoos, text, symbols, scribbles, and neon like flashes of light that point to the sacred light within all beings. Multiple images of a face are acknowledgment of the various selves we all have. Each face determines the particular artistic vision and artistic strategy I employ.

Inspired by my interest in psychology and the mystical tradition of Eastern philosophy, my artwork addresses concepts such as duality, illusion, unity and the nature of reality.

DIGITAL ABSTRACTS

My digital high contrast black-and white abstract series incorporates abstract elements, calligraphic type strokes, geometric shapes, scribbles and typography.

The works that include a photo realistic glossy image of lips depict a charged emotional state and are informed by my journey through grief.

These works are expressing a variety of emotional states, such as love, spontaneity, loss, chaos, and the nature of reality.

Your artistic journey began amid significant personal trauma, shaping much of your work's emotional depth. How do you navigate the tension between expressing deeply personal experiences and creating art that resonates universally, allowing viewers to find their own reflections within your pieces?

There is no conscious intention or effort on my part to express my personal experiences. I believe this happens automatically as art is a direct communication from and to feelings and emotions, and not of the intellect.

My creative work is an outlet to express myself and any mark or visual choice I make, arises out of all of my personal experiences and beliefs.

All artist’s creative works are born out of their unique blueprint that reflects the individuality of the artist.

My art will not resonate with everyone and my goal is always to stay true to my vision.

The exploration of reality and Eastern philosophies such as duality and illusion are central to your art. How do you integrate these abstract concepts into your creative process, and how do you ensure that your artwork communicates these complex ideas to a diverse audience?

I often incorporate symbols into my work that signify both my spiritual and psychological beliefs.

Speaking and writing are direct communications to and by the intellect. Art, like music, is created by and speaks to the intuitive, non verbal self.

When I’m creating a work, I am not consciously attempting to relay a message. I’m primarily in my intuitive mode, as opposed to my intellectual mode.

How others see my work is not on my mind while I’m in the process of creating art. The way my art is perceived is out of my control.

I do use universal symbols that have meaning for me: the plus and minus which signifies the dualistic realm we all swim in, the infinity symbol that points to timelessness and immortality. I often use the zero symbol, a profound symbol to me as it represents the great mystery of how nothing is the root of something.

As a work unfolds, I intuitively choose or modify shapes, colors or symbols that hold meaning for me.

At a certain point in my creative process, a strong feeling arises that the piece is visually right and complete!

In your statement, you speak of infusing the sacred into the ordinary. Could you elaborate on the philosophical or spiritual frameworks that guide this transformation in your art? How do you choose which mundane elements to elevate, and what techniques do you use to reveal their sacred nature?

When I speak of infusing the sacred into the ordinary I’m actually speaking about recognizing the sacred in that which we perceive to be ordinary or mundane.

Through the years of my spiritual exploration I’ve come to see that all there is is the sacred (another word for God and whatever one’s interpretation of God is)

I don’t choose ‘mundane elements’ to elevate because mundane is a judgment of the mind that precludes the sacred.

Your background in psychology and spirituality deeply informs your artistic themes and methods. Can you discuss how your understanding of human psychology and spiritual principles manifests in the visual language of your work? Are there specific psychological or spiritual theories that have directly influenced particular pieces?

I think my beliefs manifests more in the overall feeling of the work rather than through specific techniques.

All of my work is intuitively informed by my understanding of psychology and spirituality.

My study of psychology has given me the awareness of the different selves that arise in each of us. Some of my portraits have faces with multiple images to represent the variety of selves that are born out of the dualism of this realm which contains opposing ideas and out of the conditioning of our minds by our caregivers and the society we’re born into.

My digital abstracts express psychological and emotional states.

Transitioning across various artistic mediums from watercolors to non-objective sculpture and now digital art suggests a continual search for new modes of expression. What motivates these shifts, and how do these changes in medium alter your engagement with the philosophical and emotional themes in your art?

Shifts to new mediums arise when the time comes that I feel as though I’ve visually said everything I could. At that point I’m looking to reignite the challenge and excitement of exploring something new.

The philosophical and emotional themes are driving my creative expression whatever medium I’m working with.

Digital art has enabled me to use typography. Adding text brought a new element of informing through the intellect.

Influences such as Franz Kline, Andy Warhol, and Jean-Michel Basquiat have left an indelible mark on your artistic style. How do you synthesize these diverse influences while preserving your distinctive voice? What methods do you employ to transform these inspirations into something uniquely your own?

I don’t think I could eliminate my distinctive voice if I tried! Nobody grows up in a cultural void and we cannot help but be influenced by those who proceeded us, often times, not consciously.

Your move from traditional techniques to digital art represents a significant evolution in your practice. How do you perceive the relationship between these different artistic forms, and in what ways does the digital medium enhance or challenge the philosophical depth of your work compared to more traditional mediums?

Whatever medium I may employ, I’m the architect that contains all of the various ideas and experiences which are an inherent part of all that I create.

The digital medium has given me a broader tool to communicate my ideas through the application of symbols and typography.

The series “Fierce Courage,” which explores themes of identity and transformation, is deeply personal yet universally resonant. How do you approach such intimate subjects while ensuring that the broader human experiences and philosophical inquiries are not lost? What role does empathy play in your creative methodology?

I have always had a very strong visceral reaction against the minimalization of those deemed less than. I understand that this inability to accept others that are perceived to be different is the result of trauma and wounding. Because all forms of bigotry arises from conditioning and an unconscious fear, I think people come by these prejudices through no fault of their own.

Empathy for the minimalized is inherent in my creation in these works.

In my series FIERCE COURAGE, I’ve created portraits of the transwoman Jessica. Her femininity and beauty are striking and the direct perception of beauty is love itself. Judgment abates in the presence of love.

It seems to me that we all manifest with a specific blueprint that includes our callings and temperament.

From childhood till this day I have experienced intense empathy for people and animals. Having great empathy is a double edged sword. It emotionally connects one to others and, at the same time, their suffering is felt as one’s own.

You view distractions not as impediments but as integral to your creative process. How do you philosophically understand the role of these interruptions, and in what ways do they contribute to the spontaneity and depth of your art? Can you provide an example of a specific distraction that significantly influenced a piece?

While I cannot think of a specific distraction that influenced a particular work, we are social/pack animals and we would not likely create art in isolation.

This journey is predominantly about relationship.

These ‘interruptions’ are an integral part of my need to feel connected through my relationships.

Reflecting on your personal narrative and its intersection with broader societal themes, how do you see your art contributing to contemporary discourses on identity, trauma, and resilience? What do you hope your viewers will gain in terms of philosophical or emotional insight when engaging with your work?

Perhaps one of the greatest mysteries of all is how emotional insight arises. It would be wonderful to think that my art could raise emotional insight but it seems that personally challenging experiences are the catalyst that may be the largest factor in determining insight and awareness.

Ultimately, I would hope that people are moved by my work as I am.

If my art resonates with people and gives them the pleasure to view my art, as it gives me, I couldn’t ask for more.

https://www.joyhutchins11.com