On the Locality of Being
I draw on imagery from within the beauty and chaos of a dis-ordered landscape. I find objects in a place and time- the color, light, and form of particular localities and bring them into correspondence within a larger cosmic narrative. I work outside to have presence in the parish, the land, among people, with God. My work is an attempt to establish a relationship with things, rather than just an idea of them.
I work in small and large formats, by myself and in participation. I venture into the ordinary spaces of life where painting becomes a form of prayer- to find the poetry in the mundane. Every locale, whether a suburban cul-de-sac, open field, or coffee house, tells the story of a particular moment and an opportunity to pay attention. This mundane imagery, then brought into visual relationship within the Judeo-Christian narrative, is an attempt to inhabit the space between the material and the immaterial, the earth and the heavens.
A small child riding a bike, neighbors walking their dogs, and engaging in frivolous sidewalk conversation become sacred events not because they are trying to be something but because they are something. In these somethings, I hope to excavate beauty through the locality, transcendence in the particular, and find joy in the carnate of life. The work is not intended to be passively gazed upon but rather to foster participation in and between the moment rendered and the percipient, as an alluding symbol of transcendence.
Joey Tomassoni is a husband, father, painter, and missiologist residing in Annapolis, MD. His work encompasses national and international collaborative projects that explore the intersection between faith, beauty, and life. His artwork has been shown internationally and published in the Washington Post, USA Today, and other online and local media outlets. Joey shows his work in galleries, churches, and alternative spaces around the United States and consults with organizations and churches to cultivate beauty within their ecosystems. Joey holds a Master's in Fine Arts (MFA) from American University and a Master’s in Applied Theology (MTh) from the University of Oxford with a focus on Theological Beauty and it’s implications for the Church and her mission.