Joe Stavec | Walton Hills, OH
Art is not an end in itself. It is a method of creating awareness of the marvelous. Surrealist art reveals invisible secrets and exposes hidden surprises. Surrealism is based on a fascination with the strange and imaginary. There are treasures hidden in the human mind, an ability to bathe everyday reality in a magic light.
The animal kingdom remains an enigmatic aspect in each of our lives and plays an important role in the symbolism of the unconscious. Surrealists recognize the illusory nature of rational thought and rebel against it. They hold the mysterious workings of the subconscious in high regard. Reality bows to imagination.
I am an American born in 1957. I paint images in oils and watercolors and ink. My artistic influences include Rene’ Magritte, Odilon Redon, Max Ernst, Salvador Dali and Charles Burchfield. I take my inspiration from many things not least of which is the written word. Authors such as Neil Gaiman and Jorge Luis Borges put me in a mindset to create images of a world that exists just behind the veil of what we perceive as our reality. Of things previously known but forgotten, glimpses of which we see in our dreams and desires waiting to be discovered again. World mythology is a rich source of inspiration with its tales of fantastic and heroic deeds.
I am a 1980 graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Arts, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting and Lithography. I work daily in my studio with Sherlock, an African Grey parrot, by my side.
I have studied the martial art of Goshin Ju Jutsu, achieving the rank of San Dan, third degree black belt. I study the electric bass (jazz & fusion & funk) and am a comic book reader and collector. I reside at Stavec Park in Walton Hills, Ohio with my wife, Stephanie and lots of critters. These include dogs, cats, birds, lizards, aquarium fish, pond koi and lots of wildlife that often stop by for food and water.
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