Briu: How's it going Joshua? Tell us how you are doing? We hope you've had a constant creative flow state.
Bloom: Doing better then most not as good as some, gotten a little to comfortable lately I need to take another leap of faith but trying to enjoy my self get outside more eat better and get out my head little bit I’m a professional thinker.
Briu: As a mixed media artist, how has exploring different mediums allowed you to solidify your visual landscape?
Bloom: It’s a lot of trial and error I wouldn’t say my style is exactly solidified every piece I start is more like practice because I always want to try and learn something new but the exploration of different materials does allow me to convey messages in other ways that just painting on canvas would often times the message is in the medium of lack there of so it really becomes a vehicle off communication
Briu: With the current economic climate, how have you as a painter been able to circumvent the cost of materials? Has having limited access ever enforced your process and enhanced your output.
Bloom: Honestly my paintings come before my well being I’ll sacrifice food, entertainment and rent sometimes but using found objects is a good way for me to experiment with new materials and save money and also repainting over old canvases that’s always tough cause you dont wanna say bye to a painting but you know your either tired of looking at the piece or you just think you can do better and want to paint but canvas is so expensive that challenges you to improve on old ideas and styles.
Briu: Can you please share with us your process upon tackling an art piece?
Bloom: The process usually starts with a lot of studying whether that be the style of the piece I’m trying to incorporate or the subject matter itself most pieces start with a question for me the physical process of painting for me is and attempt at creating or highlighting a answer I resonate with or often times another question entirely that feeds itself into another painting. What it comes time to actually paint I like attacking the canvas with my brush and just allowing myself to mess up and cleaning it up from there I think because materials are so expensive most artist are very conservative with their supplies but I feel like that stops the natural creative flow and curiosity that can emerge from just allowing yourself to make mistake and be wasteful. I don’t ever fully know what I’m painting when I start or when it’s done. once I put paint down I’ll take some time to step back and just like at it and see what images emerge organically in my minds eyes cause like a Rorschach test whatever I see is on my mind consciously or subconsciously and I go from there doing some more research on what ever I’ve seen in the piece find some references to pull from emerge myself in that world till it comes alive I would say I’ve never really finished a piece just stopped or got bored or maybe I’m just not the right place to finish just depends.
Briu: What obstacles have you faced when putting together or participating in a gallery showcase?
Bloom: Most the time my obstacles are just getting the work to the galleries without a car traveling with large paintings can be a pain but I manage with Ubers or kind friends. But for the most part the obstacles are before your putting a show together like finding a location or getting enough artist or enough
Money together but that’s a moment for you I to be creative. I really don’t like the word obstacle it’s more like a opportunity, if you can really lock that mind set in it’s a game changer cause that’s what art is all about to me, problem solving and problem creating or identifying how ever you wanna put it but it’s the crazy fucks that look at something that most people would say is fine and point how I could be better and make it beautiful, and change the way you see and think.
Briu: Upon reviewing some of your work it seems that it's rooted in metaphysics. Can you help us peel some of the layers of your work specifically in the "Collective Consciousness" piece.
Bloom: Metaphysics to me is a very spiritual and scientific endeavor meditative and philosophical creative and logical really all about find that natural point of being the truth and essence growing up a Jehovah’s Witness I was taught a very cult like truth and when I moved to California I had to relearn everything it felt like me life restarted I didn’t know who I was or how I fit in asking those tough questions naturally led me to philosophy and i have more fun coming up with the questions and using my canvas to convey a message cause the truth that essence I’m after the world around us can’t me translated with just words.
