I enjoy honest welds and exposed bolts, the joy of struggle and walnut oil on smooth sanded wood. My best work has regret and relief and sometimes I throw wrenches.
Over the past several years, I have been interested in creating public sculptures that show different images or words depending on the viewpoint of the observer. I believe that having multiple ideas coexist in a single piece is a useful metaphor for the ecosystem of ideas that public art empowers and protects.
I focus on concepts that I previously thought were mutually exclusive, yet in fact may not be. In the past I’ve combined the words ‘Story/Truth’, ‘Fear/Love’, and images of people and migratory animals into single sculptures.
My intent is to make art that contributes to a wider conversation about justice and care and our impact on the world. I hope it helps people think and be happy; I hope it helps people be important to each other.
-- Joe Norman, 2023