Curio Cabinet
Assemblage of found objects
Joyce Blunk, 2009
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Joyce's friend, the artist Linda Larsen, wrote: "I just learned that the etymology of ‘philosophy’ is “love of truth.” Nice! Joyce Blunk recently passed away, after spending her entire life making assemblages, many housed in her handmade glass enclosures. Her work was shown and appreciated widely, with numerous awards and residencies. Her friends we are working to find homes in museums and private collections for those works still remaining, as her life partner has to move from their shared home by early September. It is work dating back to the 1970s. Although it is an arduous task, it is compelling to be with a focused body of work with such longevity. We are pleased that the Asheville Art Museum has bought one of her pieces for their permanent collection. This makes us all happy! |
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Joyce Blunk: May, 1939 - January, 2025 ARTIST'S STATEMENT Joyce Blunk While painting and drawing feature prominently in all my work, I have long been especially interested in working with three-dimensional objects. Early in my career I began removing items from still-life arrangements, altering them in various ways, and physically attaching them to my paintings. That approach evolved to incorporating objects into mixed-media paintings or placing them in sculptural collages I display on shelves or in wooden boxes, most of which I have designed and hand-built. Much of my present work still derives from my continuing interest in the still-life genre. One major theme repeated throughout is the abstract enshrining of objects that symbolize poignant human preoccupations and vivid life issues such as loss, melancholy, and the irrevocable passage of time. I arrange natural or manmade items in wooden boxes, on display platforms, and on paintings, in ways that experiment with space and exploit the symbolic meaning and essence of the objects and their presentation. Many of these assemblages and paintings invite a response of compassion or pathos. I believe this emotional response results partly because the central objects are sequestered, often in a setting of serenity and beauty, and partly because of the patina and surface buildup achieved by working layer upon layer of textures, paint, and markings. This surface treatment suggests both the richness and the poignancy derived from a relentless state of deterioration and change that occurs over an extended period of time. Throughout all the work, ordinary items are transformed by being presented in a formal and ceremonious way that alters the viewer's way of seeing them. |
email Joyce's life partner Jeanne Howe at jeannehowe100@gmail.com
email Joyce and Jeanne's friend Linda Larsen at lilarsen@icloud.com