Joey Bates
Works Available From the Studio
2023-2024
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This collection of work was made between February 2022 and October 2023. It’s a bit of a mixed bag. While each piece was made for different reasons, I believe this hodge podge grouping still fits under the umbrella of my artist statement:
Energy dispersal and change are the impetus for Bates’ recent works. Each piece references a volcanic explosion or amalgamation of explosions to recall disruption, destruction, and eventual renewal. The flowers lend a patina of beauty and ease to a process that is jarring, disorienting, and happening constantly — whether or not we are paying attention.
If you are new here I encourage you to take a look around on this page and the site in general. I’m happy to field any questions you might have (click here for the contact page).
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The basics:
VAT applies to purchases made in the EU
The work comes unframed
The staged images that accompany each piece are digital mock-ups and suggestions for frames
Pink Peony
cut paper, glue, acrylic paint
15.75” x 15.75” x 2.75” | 40cm x 40cm x 7cm
Pink! When making this piece I wanted more color in my work. It became one of my most chunky, dimensional sculptures to date. It also broke through some of my hesitance with the use of color. This piece is also a celebration of connection; I’ve contemplated elaborating on this, but will leave it up to you to come to your own conclusions on the piece. I’m very happy with the color scheme.
You can see the making of video here: Trying Something New! Time-Lapse of a Pink Peony Paper Sculpture
3000 USD + shipping
Blue Peony
cut paper, glue, acrylic paint
15.75” x 15.75” x 2.75” | 40cm x 40cm x 7cm
This piece is the sibling to Pink Peony and was made in tandem. I build each sculpture starting with a guide and I made everything in that guide twice. A challenge with this piece was getting the glow to work. It took a few layers, but I’m happy with how it came out. The color scheme of this piece casts a very different meaning than its pink counterpart.
You can see the making-of video here: Trying Something New! Time-lapse of a Pink Peony Paper Sculpture
3000 USD + shipping
Untitled {yellow bird}
cut paper, glue, acrylic paint
15.75” x 15.75” x 2.36” | 40cm x 40cm x 6cm
I came across the image of the dead bird before having a piece planned. I honestly can’t recall making any animals, other than humans, in paper before this piece. It was a good learning experience. I intuitively painted the bird yellow, not thinking much of it at the time of the build. My dad died in March of 2022 my. This past year and a half have been a challenge, grief being a main component. I realized upon completion that this piece was referring to my dealing with the experience of his death. Although unexpected, it was a good death: family embracing him, friend and relatives visiting and holding space before his passing.
This piece has served its purpose with me. Making it brought me peace and I hope that it can bring peace and comfort to the home or setting it ends up in.
3000 USD +shipping
Bald Eagle Study
cut paper, glue
11.8” x 9.5” x 1.77” | 30cm x 24cm x 4.5cm
After finishing a paper sculpture containing a bird for the first time (Untitled | Yellow Bird) I was inspired to do a study of another feathered friend. I follow the Alaska Raptor Center online and I had been seeing a bunch of their bald eagle posts show up on my feed. Bald eagles inherently hold an intensity in their appearance. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest in the US, bald eagle sightings were common while living there. Much like moose, no matter how often I come across them, I still find them majestic. This study ended up a solid little portrait in which you can’t tell that I replaced the eye three times to reach the effect I wanted. Just like the petals in other works, the feathers are all hand cut and refer to individual feathers found on the ‘model’.
1000 USD + shipping
Iris
cut paper, glue, acrylic
15” x 24” x 3” | 38cm x 61cm x 7.6cm
In this most recent iteration/body of work, I have started constructing larger flowers, presenting them almost as portraits. The Iris is a phenomenal flower. I am captivated by the way the petals fold and curve. In this build I made the petals the focus in my execution of the piece, working towards creating lots of volume that led to rich shadows. It is the largest piece in this sale and is priced to find a home now.
You can see a making of video here: Making an Iris out of paper, glue, and acrylic paint
5000 USD + shipping
Sunflower Study
cut paper, glue, acrylic paint
14” x 14” x 2.5” | 35.56cm x 35.56cm x 6.35cm
At the time of this writing, I am working on a large commission with five sunflowers basking in the sun. In preparation for the commission, I built this study to work out and solve how to make sunflower seeds with paper. At first, I thought about crumpling up paper somehow to make them. I thought about using wooden dowels and a hand sander to shape them. In the end I made the hundreds of seeds seen here by carving the ends of strips of illustration board. This flower was painted in three steps: a layer of cadmium yellow paint by brush, a layer of lemon yellow with spray paint, and a final layer of cadmium yellow spray paint. When viewed in person, a little bit of the lemon yellow remains and delicately highlights the sunflower seeds.
1000 USD + shipping SALE PENDING
Chrysanthemum
cut paper, glue, acrylic paint
20” x 20” x 3” | 50.8cm x 50.8cm x 7.62cm
This piece was made in a challenging time and experiments with light in a new way for me. The chrysanthemum was constructed with stilts allowing it to float about a centimeter from the backing board and giving light a chance to seep in and highlight the green shards at the center of the flower. Those shards represent a bit of chaos and unrest. This piece was the precursor to Explosion #17.
You can see a short unboxing video of it here: Chrysanthemum Sculpture Unboxing
4000 USD + shipping
Icelandic Poppy Edition
Blue on Blue - SOLD
Yellow on Orange
Pink on Green
Blue on Pink
cut paper, glue, acrylic paint
10” x 12” x 1.5” | 25.5cm x 30.5cm x 3.8cm
In 2021 I made an edition of ten Icelandic poppies. The goal was to make a more affordable option within my collection of offerings. Usually, individual sculptures take a very long time to make. In using a cutting machine, I was able to cut down some of the production time. They were glued up and carved by hand (I work in layers and after a piece is glued together, I carve/trim the edges to get rid of the stacked paper look on the perimeters). At first, all ten were white and a handful of them sold. The remaining four lingered in my studio until this past summer when I decided to give them a little revamp. I changed the composition by cropping them slightly. Each is painted by hand except for the all-blue poppy which was painted by hand three times then spray painted to get a good, even cover. The stamens have all been given a coating of pouring medium to give them a gloss finish.
What I like about this flower and its understated design is that this little guy is still standing despite the wind.
420 USD + shipping
Chrysanthemum (traditional cut)
cut paper, acrylic paint
19.65” x 19.65” | 50cm x 50cm
In the beginning of 2023, I was at a bit of a loss as to what to make. I decided to get back to basics and make some traditional cuts. As is my modus operandi, I had grand plans of making twelve and creating a calendar for 2024. I got to work and reconnected with cutting paper. I don’t know how to describe it since it feels like such a niche thing: I think you can tell just by being here, but I love cutting paper. There’s something so satisfying about a blade traveling across a surface with an assist from pressure, splitting up paper fibers, to create an image. As time went on, I got into other projects and obligations. The calendar is going to have to wait.
1000 USD + shipping
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* All sales are final. If there are any issues with the artwork upon its arrival, please reach out via the contact page and I will work with you to fix any problems.