We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Joelle Provost. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Joelle below.
Joelle, appreciate you joining us today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?
My greatest happiness comes from knowing I have a choice in how I get to make up my day and there is a great freedom to this. I do wonder what it would be like to have a 9-5 but I teach in the summer and that is just about perfect for me. I used to glorify day jobs and read books about them because nothing in my bones knows how to keep a regular day job and in a sense I admire people that can. I am actually making a series of works that capitalize on this sort of radical compassion for the everyday 9-5 worker, because I know most Americans are burnt out and simply can’t get to issues outside of their work home life. I feel like we all need 4 day work weeks. So ultimately, to answer this question, I am very happy as a creative!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am primarily a painter by trade. I was one of those lucky ones who knew I wanted to be a painter since I was as little as I can remember. After trying out other various careers and having them not work out, this work as commission based painter was what I call the path of least resistance (it wasn’t a hell no). I provide landscape and more conceptually oriented paintings for people’s homes. The clients that like my work want to feel something and are ok with feeling complex emotions.
My work is unconventional in that it commonly displays a dystopian scenery often side by side a more preserved wild landscape as I feel this is an accurate portrayal of our 21st century; we have more access to various beautiful natural places and also more awareness of how badly we have damaged these places too.
What sets me apart from other painters is a deep, earnest activism in the work and through my writing. The meaning behind my work and the need to speak about humanity’s influence on the natural world took a lot of courage for me to vocalize in the start of my career ten years ago, but now, this meaning is what makes people stay true to the work. I love that I listened to myself when no body else did. The old saying rings true; It you build it, they will come!
I am currently most proud of realizing my need to speak for animals. My goal is to elevate animals in the context of the fine art world. I don’t love animal portraiture so I have realized this dream to create an animal installation where I create a dinner table setting, demanding that animals deserve a seat at the table. They are often omitted from the news whenever there’s a global tragedy however they are often on the front lines. The work is heavily detailed and laiden with symbolism so stay tuned to find out more through my Instagram @joelleprovostofficial
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
Yes! When I was attending graduate school at Brooklyn College for my Masters of Fine Arts degree, I knew I needed to commit to a meaningful path in art in order to fuel me to keep going over the years. In other words, I couldn’t make empty paintings. I also cared deeply about the animal kingdom and the natural world. It as after my graduate education that I decided to merge these two roads; my need to paint and my need to make sense of our relationship with nature and its inhabitants.
I make visually explosive oil paintings that hold both truths; societal collapse and the rebuilding of a new world. My goal is to provide humans with this complexity in order to push them through grief and into an inspired, proactive state.
I believe that deep down the vast majority of us are environmentalists. My job as visual artist is to inspire reverie for our natural world, reminding others that their love for both nature and non-human entities is already existent, and within them.
One other way I hope to inspire the general public is by using low impact materials when I paint. We live in a world of great abundance, and we rely on going to the store too much. When painting about the natural world, it didn’t make sense for me to paint on non organic cotton you might find at the mainstream art store. The usage of pesticides is so heavy, and I don’t really believe in pests anyway. “Pests” are simply animals who share the vegetation with humans, like bunny rabbits, moles, spiders, aphids, and so forth. I don’t like participating in unnecessary death if I can help it. Once I realized there were garages of once used paint and canvas, just sitting there, I committed to being a low impact painter, and I want to be known as the notorious LIP; the notorious low impact painter who friends and neighbors can come to and gift their once loved paints or canvas to. It’s a lot easier on my conscience and gives me a sense of levity when I paint. Not to mention, each canvas now comes with a history or a past life that I find beautiful and interesting.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
I think being an artist means have a great amount of willpower and discipline while also being able to roll with the punches. For instance, professionally when I am working on a commission, it is important for me to be professional.
People may think it’s a light career that is for dreamers. And it is for us dreamers. But in order to roll with the punches of seasonal work, rejection etcetera, and still find happiness in the journey, in a sense you have to be tough as nails.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.joelleprovost.com
- Instagram: @joelleprovostofficial
Image Credits
All photographs are taken by me