Joshua Abelow

Artist Statement

My work is a kind of abstract, autobiographical story telling. I use text, figuration, and geometric abstraction to piece together different narratives that are interconnected. Many of the themes in my visual work are also found in my writing as I am interested in the relationship between text and image. This particular painting is part of a series of paintings and drawings I am making, which depict a dancing figure. Kazimir Malevich’s Bather from 1911 is a point of reference. I’m thinking about the idea of the artist as performer. Or even the artist as magician.

• issue #24: "Fourteen Paintings"