Joe Bloch is a US contemporary artist who also runs Creativebloch, an art studio and gallery based in Dumbo, Brooklyn. In this interview he talks about art, the major influences in his work, and the concept behind the gallery.
Art has always been a part of your life. When did you know you would become an artist?
I starting drawing as a kid. From an early age my art teachers thought I had a gift. It just came naturally to me and I was inspired by the art and graphics of the time including album covers, early video games, and studying art history. By high school, I took a career test that said I should be a medical illustrator, and I was like, what is that? It was the prefect balance of art and science, which seemed at the time a balance of skills. I ended up going to Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) to get a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in medical art. I spent 10 years illustrating medical books and journals.
As a contemporary artist, who influenced you the most?
Wow, their are so many influences. I’m inspired by the VanGogh, Munch, Basquiat, Dali and some contemporary illustrators such as Wilkinson, Riggs, Syme, Rockwell and others. Even local NYC artists like Fairey, English, Sheryo and the Yok.
How has your style evolved over time?
Starting out as a medical artist, I was pretty restricted in terms of techniques and style to create work that was both accurate and instructional. While this was a commercial requirement, it was a bit confining. Around 2008, I started experimenting with acrylics again and developed a highly textured technique that was far more expressive and exciting to me. Bold, heavy, at times garish, contrasty and brash was what I was going for. Extremely liberating and forgiving, it’s a technique that takes time and patience. But I can make a mess or refine as necessary. I might paint over 4 paintings to get it right.
What is the concept and mission of your Creativebloch?
Creativebloch is a studio/gallery/shop based in DUMBO, Brooklyn at 145 Front Street. I’m using it as a studio to paint at times, and as a gallery to show both my work and produce group shows. We also sell novelty items that show off the art in unique ways. My vision is to provide a creative space that helps retain art in the neighborhood, which has seen a lot of development and artists leaving for other areas like Gowanus and Bushwick. It’s kind of what happened to Soho and Tribeca and now its happening to DUMBO. Of course there are community efforts to preserve the artistic nature of the area, but we are always up against developers and commercialization.
What artists have displayed here?
Right now we have a fantastic exhibit of 15 different artists and photographers from around NYC called Urban Ubiquity and runs from Novemebr 1 – Decemebr 5, 2015. They include Martin, Borek, Lyzcen, Maloney, Rolon, Maron, Karsouny, Dacs and others. It’s really an incredible range of mediums and techniques. Acrylics, watercolor, pen and ink, collage, printmaking, digital, etc.
Are there any plans for future shows?
Yes, we will rotate different exhibits throughout the year, and will really do something special each time. I spend a lot of time running around Brooklyn looking for unique artists and visiting studios and galleries. We are trying to offer something special to help and promote emerging artists to give them a chance to expose their work to hundreds of visitors coming through from around the world. Future shows will be theme based; I was thinking of doing a kids art show and donating proceeds to a charity.
In today’s digital world, how does a painter “survive”?
You know these kind of questions are always funny to me. Things about surviving and artists starving. If you are motivated and work as hard as you breathe, you will find a way to create and make it work. Maybe you have another gig that pays the bills, and you paint all night. It shouldn’t be a chore to paint, it needs to happen. Artists feel the work has to come out, it’s not about money, it’s about the creative process. Hopefully someone recognizes this and someday pays for the work, but if not so what? True art is a vision of the artist for his own good, not for anyone else anyway.
Kepp up to date with what’s happening at
Creativebloch on Tumblr, Twitter and Instagram.
