---- J O E L R E A - MY ARTWORLD ----

A World of Inspiration...

2012-02-12T05:05:00.000-08:00

I am interested in all manifestations of scale, especially the juxtaposition of extreme opposites in the natural world. This interactive application is both educational and extremely fun-

www.scale_of_universe_enhanced.swf

Here are some artworks which play with the theme of scale...

Ron Mueck

Jeff Koons

Takashi Murakami

Some of my paintings using scale in a playful and dramatic way...

'Walk Alone' 140x140cm, oil on canvas by Joel Rea

'Killing Me Softly' 122x180cm, oil on canvas by Joel Rea

'Pursuit Under Silver Skies' 140x140cm, oil on canvas by Joel Rea

Here are some artworks which suit my style of aesthetics, particularly my flying dogs concept...

'Head On' by artist Cai Guo-Qiang

Under water dog photo by Seth Casteel

'High Fidelity' 140x140cm, oil on canvas by Joel Rea

New Painting...

2011-07-17T04:24:00.000-07:00

Click image to enlarge.

'MOMENT OF TRUTH' oil on canvas by Joel Rea 2011

Front page of the Gold Coast Bulletin 12.07.2011

2011 New Beginnings...

2011-07-11T03:38:00.000-07:00

I am very excited to have moved into my new studio this week, it was custom designed for great natural lighting positioned off the back of my house on the Gold Coast. Here are some pics of the room empty with the lights going in....

Here are 2 portrait shots of my plasterer after a hard day sanding the ceiling...

Photo by Joel Rea

We have already utilized the studio space for some photo shoots, this is a working pic from the first shoot...

Photo by Chris Hyde www.chrishydephoto.com

This is a pic of a cloud installation artwork from the recent Art Melbourne11 fair at the Royal Exhibition Building in Victoria. Pretty cool...

I made these mirror image designs below for fun from my painting 'Monumentum', like rorschach it's a very effective visual method which plays on the brain functioning around symmetry.

Joel Rea, digital media after oil on canvas

Google and art around the world...

2011-04-17T05:49:00.000-07:00

This is an amazing site, through mapping technology you can visit museums around the world with- The Google Art Project. Zoom in with an unbelievably clear magnification. http://www.googleartproject.com

It's the next best thing to seeing the works in the flesh and is a definite motivator to go on another art mission around the world and see some masterpieces, here are some of my fav pics from my last few trips...

Joel Rea with The Raft of the Medusa by Théodore Géricault 1818–1819

Joel Rea with Ecumenical Council by Salvador Dali 1960

Joel Rea with The Luncheon on the Grass by Manet 1862-1863

Joel Rea with Modern Rome by Giovanni Paolo Panini 1757

Joel Rea with a Yue Minjun sculpture in Dubai.

Joel Rea at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice

Soundwave!...

2011-03-08T06:38:00.000-08:00

This was by far the best festival I've ever attended!!! A gigantic line up of incredible bands featuring some of the greatest iconic artists of our time. Besides seeing masters of guitar like Slash, Rock Horror front men like Rob Zombie and World Famous co-founders of Metal, Iron Maiden- these performers aren't the only interesting element I was drawn to... The photos below I took myself... before my camera got broken:(

The Big Day Out...

2011-01-29T16:57:00.000-08:00

It was the Gold Coast Big Day Out last Sunday, and what a day. Highlight of the day for myself was definitely the 'Deftones'. Then after the scorching sun went down the German titans of Metal 'RAMMSTEIN' performed the most amazing stage show I've ever been privileged to witness, and not to mention their set list ROCKED!

Link- RAMMSTEIN at GOLD COAST B.D.O. 2011

It was also my birthday on Thursday and I was lucky enough to spend another perfect day at Dreamworld, the rides were great and the FlowRider (simulated wave) was pretty cool but my favourite part of the day was watching the big cats at Tiger Island, here are some shots I took of the Tigers humbling our basic human physical abilities...they are awesome, maybe a tiger painting on the cards?

Queensland Floods...

2011-01-20T15:03:00.000-08:00

With only a week from the worst flood disaster to hit South East Queensland in decades, the damage to lives and property is disastrous. The volunteers have stepped up, the clean up is swift and epic in effort but the stains of this tragedy will not wash away for months maybe years. I have painted around the flood theme, personally I have been affected by flash flooding before. The power and danger of storm water strikes me with anxiety and in total contrast, the oceans power with it's transcendental waves is one of my most treasured visual pleasures. Brisbane was worst hit, and as the base for my main gallery sales for many years, the towns set backs will surely be reflected in mine and many others business's. I live on the Gold Coast, which while Brisbane succumbed to a dark nightmare made real, 1 hour drive away we had near perfect weather and even better surf, it was a cruel display of nature in comparison but the mistake is to feel completely secure anywhere. In terms of our vulnerable existence in the hands of nature and it's elements, we humans are like insects to Gods. Chin up to all of you doing it hard, the best is worth fighting for- QUEENSLANDER!!!

Please donate if you can

http://www.qld.gov.au/floods/donate.html

A BEAUTIFUL END 60x109cm oil on canvas by Joel Rea

WHEN IT COMES 60x80cm oil on canvas by Joel Rea

Brisbane January 2011

Gold Coast January 2011

The Art of Bonsai...

2011-01-04T15:57:00.000-08:00

With years of working with oil paint my patience has grown immensely, and whilst working at home provides endless fridge visits it also gives me the opportunity to take short breaks in the garden. I have developed a keen interest in plants particularly Bonsai's, the miniature trees are a remarkable art form spanning centuries.

My bonzai's above, below are goggled pics...

New Big Book...

2010-12-07T15:14:00.000-08:00

A great gift from a greater person, The Big Book of Art- my kinda book! More pictures than words, if knowledge is power this book is a fist full of fuel. In addition, my favourite read of the year so far has to be - I AM OZZY, The Ozzy Osbourne Autobiography. I love the guy, not just because along with Black Sabbath he is the Father of Heavy Metal but because he reminds so much of my own Dad, another crazy, funny, swearing pom from industrial middle England.

Art in Sydney...

2010-11-17T19:30:00.000-08:00

I quick trip to Sydney for the annual art fair and with some free time to scan around the Art Gallery of New South Wales I found this extraordinarily detailed painting by Georges Croegaert, 1848-1923, who was a Belgian academic painter. Below is the painting and detail close-up and also other pieces by Croegaert I found googling. And by the way, the Sydney weather was amazing, best viewed from a plane!...

Portraying the Prince of Darkness...

2010-10-31T16:31:00.000-07:00

In any form of art, depicting the devil can be tight rope. I believe Al Pacino's portrayal of the Devil in the film The Devil's Advocate 1997 is one the most provocative depictions of a realistic Prince of Darkness. I see Pacino's performance in the role as most memorable and not to mention the fantastic writing and great 'one-liners' spraying like flames in the films final confronting scene. See the scene in the link below, in which the Devil, appearing as a man, and in his own words as, 'a fan of man!' confronts his offspring with a proposition. It is one of my all time favourite movie scenes, just watch...

link - The Devil's Advocate speech 1997

Justice for all...

2010-10-17T06:17:00.000-07:00

It's not everyday you wake up and wonder what favourite black t-shirt your going to wear to watch METALLICA TONIGHT! This week I get to wake up to that day, in the meantime i'm doing revision, so here is one of my favourite album covers and a painting I see everyday (in print form). Justice for all or only for those who can afford... food for thought.

JUSTICE by Brett Lethbridge 200x120cm acrylic on canvas

Through The Wire...

2010-10-04T18:09:00.000-07:00

When I meet other artists I usually ask what they have in the background playing while they work, radio, music, tv, nothing? I enjoy a familiar movie or tv series with a solid soundtrack and great dialog, and occasionally some music. Just last week I finished off all 5 series of 'The Wire', and I give it 5 stars. I often think much about addiction and street life when I construct my 'hoodie guy' paintings, the struggle to make something and survive in a life tangled in endless obstacles. Painting has given me stilts in the long grass of lifes dark struggles. In the past I have seen and experienced some of this darkness but its only a tiny fraction of what is portrayed in the everyday life of a street solider in Baltimore USA, do I think 'The Wire' is one of the best shows I've ever watched? Correction, heard?...MOS DEF!

WHAT I FOUND oil on canvas 92x122cm by JOEL REA

My art collection...

2010-09-27T01:10:00.000-07:00

This painting is the newest addition to my own personal art collection, it's an acrylic and oil on paper by Brett Lethbridge. Although it's a straight forward portrait of myself, the swimming goggles and cap in contrast with the long sleeve V-neck suggest swimming in cold weather, the term 'suffer for your art' comes to mind with this juxtaposition.

Finding Apocalypto...

2010-09-21T23:47:00.000-07:00

I sometimes find great movies can escape me for years, like they never existed, and then by some stab in the dark I end up watching them and am totally over whelmed. Last week it was Apocalypto, and I thought it was incredible! No famous faces, no catch phrases, brilliant art and design of 16th century Mayan civilization and an epic story line with unforgettable characters. And not to mention the human sacrifice scene! So you can probably tell I love the movie, and you might too if you let it find you...

Sea Side Sculptures...

2010-09-12T16:27:00.000-07:00

Visited the Swell Sculpture Festival at Currumbin Beach Front on the weekend, awesome artworks with kids climbing all over them and ignoring the 'do not touch' signs. Currumbin Beach Front is one of my most special places in the world, the festival is a great bonus!

http://www.swellsculpture.com.au

photo by Brie Shinn

Salvador Dalí burns on...

2010-09-09T15:51:00.000-07:00

I feel most relevant and strong as a painter when I look into the work and life of Dali, I am most drawn to his paintings which appear the most un-surreal. This piece is epic in its simplicity, no gimmicks, a master technical painter waving the flame of his genius inferno and leaving relics of God-like perspectives here on Earth.

Christ of Saint John of the Cross by Salvador Dalí made in 1951

Starting new work...

2010-09-08T16:27:00.000-07:00

Approaching the start of a new painting, a wave piece, I can't help but admire the beauty of the Gold Coast beaches while going through my photo archives...bring on summer, skylines and surf spots!

DEPTHS OF DESIRE oil on canvas 60x85cm by JOEL REA

Exhibition Open August 28th - Sept 26th - LETHBRIDGE GALLERY

2010-09-07T17:56:00.000-07:00

MONUMENTUM 122x180cm oil on canvas by Joel Rea

There has been talk. Deep, darkening, depressing talk about painting becoming a dead form of art. But we all know actions speak louder than words, and Joel Rea's exhibition is speaking a hell of a lot louder than any such talk. This Saturday Joel exhibits a captivating new series of oil paintings entitled Monuments and Miniatures. So never fear, painting is one aspect of art that is most definitely not dead and buried. But if you don't take our word for it, head on down to Lethbridge Gallery this Saturday and check it out for yourself. - BE & SH

By Beccanie Evans and Sarah Hazlehurst

Exhibition on now - 'Monuments & Miniatures' New Paintings by Joel Rea

2010-09-06T17:09:00.000-07:00

All works online at LethbridgeGallery.com