"Off The Path" Painting

Painting is where I feel the strongest sense of belonging. The visuals I see in my mind are in response to a lingering sense of being out of place. Growing up in the midwest in a Jewish family of ex-New Yorkers created a sense at an early age that I neither belonged or was understood. With painting I can release the energy that builds from being uncomfortable by creating spaces I control through color and composition. This is the inspiration and motivation for where my work begins. When approaching painting from an internal place rather than from life, the challenge is to resolve images that function both emotionally and pictorially; and knowing when to stop. While I look for meaning in these paintings, I am also ambivalent as that is not what drives me to paint. When a mark or juxtaposition of two colors feels deeply right, that is what resonates most powerfully and drives me to see how far I can take a piece until it feels resolved. Joel Fleminger grew up in St. Louis, MO. He attended Knox College in Galesburg IL where he received a Bachelors in Studio Art for painting and photography. After graduation he continued his studies in painting and drawing at the International School of Art in Umbria, Italy before a residency at the Vermont Studio Center. While not showing publicly, Joel continued his painting practice while balancing work and family. Since 2015 Joel and his family have lived in Portland, OR. His wife, Erika Rier is an interdisciplinary artist and together they have a daughter who is a professional chef.