![Q&A [Question and Artist]: Josephine Close](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/58bb213420099e5b48771d3b/1708651173161-CQPMEQYW7J76WL1Q97JX/BLOG+TTD+thumbnails.png)
Q&A [Question and Artist]: Josephine Close
The Brea Gallery presents “Through the Dreamhouse”, our first exhibition of the year running January 27th to March 22, 2024. Currently on view, this group exhibition delves into the symbolism and power of domestic spaces, using both traditional and unconventional mediums to examine intimate and introspective aspects of a household. We had the pleasure of interviewing Josephine Close, one of the artists in “Through the Dreamhouse”, to learn more about her artistic processes and upcoming projects!
Meet Josephine Close
[Brea Gallery]: We saw your work here at the gallery for “Made in California” in 2021 and it’s so great to have you back! Tell us a bit about yourself.
[Josephine]: I am a mixed media artist living in Los Angeles. I started out my creative life as a photographer which I did for many years. During that time, I kept these elaborate journals of my photography with writing, slowly the art started to appear, until my journals had turned into sketchbooks and I had a new direction. I have been painting in the style I use today for about 6 years. It slowly developed over a long period of time through constant experimentation.
As a mixed media artist, I have two main focuses. The first being what I call spirit, a spiritual connection which comes from a deep knowing and infuses all of my work. It is a conversation between my spirit and the spirit of places, animals or things. This developed through meditation and the healing work that I practice.
The second is process, I have worked for years developing my unique way of painting which involves ink and beeswax. Having first wanted to become an oil painter but having a severe allergy to the paint itself, I had to change directions. I wanted to develop a way of working that was more indicative of what I would make if I had continued to paint in oil.
[Brea Gallery]: Thank you for sharing that with us! So many people gravitate to these rooms you created and want to know how this series originated. Can you explain the inspiration behind your “La Maison De Mon Rêve” series?
[Josephine]: This series came about at the beginning of the Pandemic. I was trapped at home and longing to travel. So I took to the internet to find beautiful rooms in distant places that I could immerse myself in. I spent time looking through old photographs from my travels. It was my escapism at the time.
My preferences leaned toward English and French interiors. I have always been enamored with rooms and if I wasn’t an artist, I would want to be an interior decorator. Since I was a child I have been in love with the Thorne Rooms, miniature magical rooms, at the Chicago Art Institute. My grandmother had something similar on her wall and it was my first favorite piece of art. I love the idea of interior space, the emotions they evoke and the spirits that inhabit them. I try to bring that to my work.
[Brea Gallery]: A lot of our visitors love your work! Out of curiosity, where do you find your inspiration to create these magical rooms? And could you tell us what topics inspire your art?
[Josephine]: I get inspiration from my own travels, and magazines like World of Interiors and Cabana, both of which are huge inspirations. There are a few interior decorators that I am completely obsessed with, Youtube videos, Instagram, anything really. Spiritual connection, if it makes me feel something, if I feel a connection, if I respond to the colors, then I will attempt to paint it, not all of them work out. I find that Spirit, Silence, Poetry, Magic, Fairy Tales and the Natural World inspire my art.
[Brea Gallery]: Amazing! What do you think has helped in leading your artistic mission and/or inspires you to keep going?
[Josephine]: Experimentation, everyday I try something new. I love to use new materials, my existing materials in new ways, layer things that aren’t supposed to be used together and using my tools in unconventional ways. I think for me, if my process is constantly evolving there is always something to get excited about. I also keep notebooks of ideas for future pieces of art, there are so many ideas there, I will never run out.
[Brea Gallery]: Sounds magical! What are 3 things in your studio right now that you are obsessed with? And could you share who your top 3 artists are right now?
[Josephine]: My Cryolite pendulum, which I use to ask process related questions. A Black Madonna Statue, found in the back of an old abandoned church in France. My life sized Unicorn painting in progress.
This changes daily, by the time this goes live it will be others. Right now: Joseph Cornell, Frescoes from Pompeii, Alex Kanevsky.
[Brea Gallery]: Very interesting! What advice would you give to artists who might not know where to start in getting their art out there?
[Josephine]: Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest. Even though the algorithms have changed the landscape of social media, it’s still the easiest way to get your work out there. Applying to open calls for artists, artist residencies are also a wonderful way of making connections.
Also tell your non-artist friends, be able to show anyone your work at any time. I have gotten opportunities from showing my instagram to strangers in restaurants. You never know when something could lead to a great opportunity.
[Brea Gallery]: Where else can people find your work or what’s coming up next?
[Josephine]: Instagram is my most used platform, everything is there and you can find me here! You can also check out my website for more information on my paintings, archives and purchasing. My work has been featured in Create Magazine the Magic issue, in Taschen’s Library of Esoterica Series, Witchcraft edition and I was recently included in a group show at Tyger Tyger Gallery in Asheville, NC.
Thank you, Josephine, for sharing some insight with us about your work and what works best for you in your art practice! Keep the magic going!✨
Be sure to check out and follow Josephine Close’s website and social media accounts! Visitors can view her amazing work in person at the Brea Gallery until March 22nd, 2024.
We are open Wednesday - Sunday
12pm-5pm
General Admission $3
Through The Dreamhouse is on display now through March 22nd, 2024.
