Art has a long history of forcing viewers out of their comfort zones, but multimedia artist Joseph Jesse Ovalle does it with a uniquely striking blend of material experimentation, social commentary and surrealist visual gut-punches.
Western Illinois University will showcase Ovalle’s work in a new solo exhibition titled 'Your Babes Can Teeth On The Fruits We Grow,' running Tuesday, Sept. 8 through Friday, Oct.
2, at the Annex Gallery on the WIU Macomb campus. Details regarding an opening reception will be announced at a later date.
Ovalle, who earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and his Master of Fine Arts from Indiana University Bloomington, investigates the intrinsic meanings of everyday objects through process, symbolism and material choices. His work draws deeply from both historical and contemporary touchstones, using sculpture to confront complex topics spanning religion, race, politics, culture and modern American society.
Central to the exhibit is Ovalle’s ability to turn abstract cultural critiques into unsettling, physical forms. Among the featured installations is a monumental, arachnid-like sculpture constructed from pale, wrapped fibers. Towering on spindly, multi-jointed legs, the scorpion-spider hybrid sports a curved tail and a starkly realistic human bust in place of a head—an eerie fusion of anatomy and architecture that feels equal parts mythical monster and biting social critique.
A seasoned educator and curator, Ovalle co-founded 'The In Art Gallery,' an online platform designed to expand exhibition opportunities for emerging artists, and currently teaches at various colleges and universities across the Midwest.
His public sculptures are on view at Kellogg Community College, Scovill Sculpture Park, and SIU Edwardsville, and his resume includes prestigious artist residencies at the Vermont Studio Center, Jentel Artist Residency and Farwell House.
The Annex Gallery, located on the ground floor of the Heating Plant at 1 University Circle, is open from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Admission is free and open to the public.
