CACOPHONY - paintings by Joel Fleminger

The act of painting is what provides me with a sense of belonging and purpose. The images are a response to feeling discomfort in a world that is overstimulating. The process fluctuates between working with urgency and long pauses. As the composition becomes clear, space expands and contracts while forces push and pull. Although the works are invented abstractions, they are inspired by an appreciation for nature and art history. My painting therefore provides an outlet to processing what detracts and replacing it with an experience through which I am restored.

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.