/BEAUTIFUL MUNDANITY

Joanne Stowell

Material Needs 2024

September 5 - October 20, 2024

materials funded: wood panels, gesso, oil paint

In the age of social media and fast-paced scrolling, it is easy to forget what is real. Joanne Stowell’s paintings seek out this reality, based in her day-to-day life as a mother, and as a human being. Stowell’s work captures struggles and chaos, but also the quiet, often unappreciated moments of life. It is this duality that Stowell hopes others find relatable, and refreshing.

Stowell’s oil paintings range from small, intimate moments to large, full scenes of life. These paintings, her largest so far, are painted on a scale that allows for full immersion in the scene. In each work, the viewer is invited to step into Stowell’s world and experience that particular moment in time. A story then unfolds through small details incorporated throughout the scene.

Stowell calls her painting style “contemporary simplified realism.” Her scenes are not glamorized, but her use of contrast and lighting dramatically catch the eye. The black outlining adds an illustrative touch that underscores her desire to tell the story, or, more accurately, to have the viewer find a story, behind the moments she depicts. “Overall, my desire for my work is that it is relatable,” explains Stowell, “I want my paintings to start conversations and create connections about parts of life that we do not talk about often enough. I hope that someone will look at my work and feel seen. Each painting is a true representation of life- it can be simple or chaotic and messy and that is okay. That is real.”