Maine Arts Journal - Winter 2022

Joshua Ferry discussed his stripe paintings with Maine Arts Journal.

in process (open yellow/closed yellow). oil on canvas, 24 x 28 in.

Does your work aim at hiding or revealing?

My work aims at discovering through the process of painting.

in process (three open orange). oil on canvas, 24 x 28 in.

What are your main sources of inspiration? Do you steal images? From whom? From where?

I’ve been thinking about making stripe paintings for a long time, and I am drawn to many artists who have painted them (too many to list here). It took me over six months of false starts and refining techniques to arrive at making these paintings in this way, which included working on collages and small paintings on paper during the summer. From my previous paintings of crosses to these current stripe paintings, I’ve discovered that while appropriating well-known motifs, it’s impossible to exclude yourself from the work. Every artist will paint stripes differently. What is exciting and surprising to me is discovering how I will make them, which is still unfolding.

in process (oranges and yellows). oil on canvas, 24 x 28 in.

How do you deal with neglect?

I try to keep making work that interests me.

How do you deal with self-doubt?

By thinking less and focusing on process.

Who do you paint for? Yourself or an audience? Who are you trying to please?

I’ve always made my work for other artists. They are my audience.

in process (yellows). oil on canvas, 24 x 28 in.

Do you intend your work to reflect the times we live in?

The paintings I’m working on now started during the darkest days of winter and at the height of COVID last year (2021). I decided to make warm, hopeful, optimistic paintings that possessed a strong sense of stability and structure. These elements were missing in my life, and painting them helped me recenter. The work will be shown at Perimeter Gallery in the spring (2022).