Joseph Annino

Ghosts and Goblins Walk In This Land 

Pastel pencil on acrylic prepared paper

32 x 22 inches

More Info:

A naked spaceman explores a neighborhood on a strange planet, about to fall into a crater, a larger version of himself tries to intervene.

Bio:

Joseph Vincent Annino, signing his works as JoViAn, is a self taught artist working in a variety of mediums since 2015. Joseph’s work explores a world of nude figures, as a natural and positive state of being, presenting the body frankly and colorfully. His process involves transparency, through glazes, or layers of materials, treating the paint as layers of skin. Exploring self image, masculinity, embodiment, queer futures and histories, social relationships, and the relationship of the body to environment and nature, Joseph seeks to imagine the possibility of people being fully themselves through the simple act of being naked.

Statement:

This series of works is inspired by the song "22nd Century" by Exuma and its performances by Nina Simone and Justin Vivian Bond, with titles taken from the lyrics. A lonely, naked, spaceman, protected only by a glass helmet, explores outer space, and inner space. He is searching for something, trying to discover or create a world, but always encounters the darkness and vastness of space, and other versions of himself.. These works are done in the spirit of queer futurism, exploring the positive and negative aspects of escaping to and creating new worlds.