SUMMARY

 BUILDING BABEL (2018) 
oil on canvas/panel
33" x 33"

Joshua Elias Bio

born in 1957 Chicago, Illinois

Lives and Works in Los Angeles California

Raised in Wilmette (a suburb of Chicago), the family moved to Bexley, Ohio. It was there in high school that Elias was introduced by his mother to Ava Glimcher’s first Pace Gallery located in a mansion and met the artist Louise Nevelson. Upon meeting the Grand Dame sculptor, they shook hands and she proclaimed him “you have the soul of an artist.”

Abstract artist Joshua Elias is known for heroic colorful narrative works.

Elias utilizes jocular abstraction in painting as a vessel to hold an interior landscape of a higher world.

Thematically his interests lay in the interstitial, the tone of the atmosphere, and the mythology of story. He works diligently on uncovering Spiritual locations that are recurring themes within his work.

The artist grew up in Chicago in an artistic family, he was weaned on Museum outings at the Art Institute as well as the Field Museum.

BFA at San Diego State University studying film and theater and then continued his studies leading into oil painting at Otis Parsons in Los Angeles.

He lived in West Berlin and was employed by  the US Military, the DYA (Dependent Youth Association) teaching art and writing short theater pieces for children in the military. The wall was up during this period.

He returned to Los Angeles was briefly involved with Performance Art pieces.

Then followed his creation of unstructured sunglasses made from film stock called FilmWear. Appropriation of materials eventually lead to dramatic oil paintings of immaterial worlds.

Commissioned work by designer Kelly Wearstler to create 48 paintings by for the Maison 140, Beverly Hills and later two double-sided paintings featured at the Viceroy in Santa Monica.

Rand Corporation collection lobby of the Pardee School in Santa Monica.

“Rock Light”, a hard-bound publication Rock Light from Lumen Press, a combined poetry with visual printed artworks all written and created by the artist.

Iceland  President Gudni Th. Johannesson purchased one of the works which is now displayed in the state house outside of Reykjavik.

Inspirational studies include a privately apprentice with historical classical technique painting master’ Sylvana Barrett, a consultant at the Getty Museum. 

The artist incorporates humor as a stint and abstraction as a vessel to hold an interior landscape of a higher world. Thematically his interests lay in the interstitial. Through his writing he has come to be known for his poetic, sometimes comical titles for his artworks.

A new book, ROCK LIGHT Ltd Edition of 100, featuring paintings and poetry of Joshua Elias, from Lumen Press at FATHOM GALLERY Los Angeles, has been released July 2017.

Elias works daily at his art studio at the Brewery Arts Complex in Los Angeles.

-P.G.-

Education

Design, Art, and Architecture, SMC
Sylvana Barrett  Getty  Consultant /Historical Techniques
Otis School of Design
Santa Monica City College
B.F.A. San Diego State University 1983

B I O G R A P H Y

Joshua Elias (b. 1957 Chicago Illinois) –

Abstract artist Joshua Elias is known for heroic colorful narrative works. His focus on creating form, through color and utilizing polarities of color help distinguish his art. The artist attenuates harmonic forms housed by disappearing lines, thus providing an armature acting as the composition.

Thematically his interests lay in the interstitial, the tone of the atmosphere, and the mythology of story.

The artist grew up in Wilmette -Chicago in an artistic family. He was weaned on Museum outings at the Art Institute, Field Museum and the Museum of Science and Industry.

BFA at San Diego State University studying film and theater. Then he continued studies leading into oil painting at Otis Parsons School in Los Angeles. master’ Sylvana Barrett, a consultant at the Getty Museum. 

He lived in West Berlin in 1980 surrounded by the wall and was employed by the US Military, the DYA (Dependent Youth Association) teaching art and writing short theater pieces for children in the military.

Returning to Los Angeles he was briefly involved with Performance Art and finding his way with a series of black ink drawings and watercolor psycho portraits.

He created unstructured sunglasses made from film stock and called them FilmWear. Appropriation of materials eventually lead to dramatic oil paintings of immaterial worlds.

Select Highlights:

Commissioned work in the early 2000s, to create 48 paintings by designer Kelly Wearstler. Made for a new boutique hotel in Beverly Hills, Maison 140, and later a double-sided painting for the Viceroy in Santa Monica. He collaborated on several projects with this designer.

Many solo and group exhibitions throughout Los Angeles and in Europe.

 “Rock Light”, a hard-bound publication Rock Light from Lumen Press, a combined poetry with visual printed artworks all written and created by the artist was released in 2016.

Iceland  President Gudni Th. Johannesson purchased one of the works which is now displayed in the state house outside of Reykjavik

 Joshua Elias has received many honors- an Artist Residency at

 Fundacion Valaparaiso Artists Residency in Andalucia Spain

 3.1 Arts Artists Residency in Saissac France (2022)

inclusions at the art collection at the RAND Corporation,

Artworks featured at TED.com Kohler Home for the Future

Metropolitan Museum Exhibition in Tokyo – (2022)

A group exhibition at the Biblioteca Angelica S’Agostino Rome Italy (2022)

Art Center in Highland Park-Chicago. Exhibition (2022) with his mother, Sheila Elias, and his sister Joyce Elias, acclaimed artists in their own right.

Mr. Elias works daily at his art studio at the Brewery Arts Complex in Los Angeles.