12" x 9" original drawings on reclaimed wood panels by Joshua Jenkins.
Joshua Jenkins was born in New Jersey in 1987. Primarily raised and home-schooled in Poughkeepsie, NY, he experienced the Northern grit of diverse culture, urban decay and most importantly, acclaimed museums of the Big City. During the summers Jenkins spent time with his father in central Kentucky, which he would call home during his high school years. His youth spent in the easy-going backwoods of the South contrasted with the fast-paced life of the North; a dichotomy that would greatly influence his artistic work later in life.
"I use art as a source of therapy—coping with day to day stresses, romances, my sexuality, my childhood and my ongoing struggle with institutional religion. I am also inspired by observing people around me. People intrigue me not only on a physical plane, but on a deeper emotional level. I use this disruptive and freeform line as a reference to the influence from the Expressionist movement and also acknowledging the energy of street artists. I find beauty in the raw textures that plagues old cities and in the primitive instincts—used to enhance the decay through an artistic resolve—that graffiti artists seem to do so well."