Handmade badges mounted on aluminium
45,4 x 45,4 x 2 in (115,2 x 115,2 x 5 cm)

Joe Black is a British contemporary artist known for his large-scale works based on popular imagery made from thousands of miniature objects. The vanguard of the current Pop Art movement, Black’s work has been described by the aesthete himself as “revealing the unexpected” as his oeuvres are viewed both from a distance and up close to make the ordinary extraordinary. Black combines his natural craft skills with a love of materials - many of which are recognizable everyday objects to create portraits and abstract works. Using a laborious technique of hand painting and altering each tiny object to give gentle lines and shading to his subjects, Black has pioneered an elaborate new form of pixilation that he uses to hide subtle implications within each of his images. Through his works Joe Black explores the way we see pictures by making imagery that is both seen as a whole and as a collection of small composite parts. His aim is for the audience to experience the grand and the intricate at the same time. This is perhaps best illustrated by his use of plastic toy soldiers in his depiction of Robert Capa’s iconic boy soldier piece ‘Made in China’ (2011). Black’s distinctive style encourages the viewer to interpret his playful works by exploring the piece as a dramatic whole as well as by examining the detailed collection of its parts. Black is rigorous in his commitment to produce excellence in the form of demonstrating an incredibly supreme level of skill that often enthrals his viewers, leaving them astonished by his artworks’ exquisite detail. Since committing himself to the world of full-time fine art, Joe has stormed the art world, stunning it with his powerful mix of image selection and craftsmanship. He is at the vanguard of the current Pop Art movement and in the great traditions of craftsman before him. Black is rigorous in his commitment to produce excellence. He demonstrates a level of skill that often falls outside the viewers’ understanding of what is possible. During Frieze Art Fair in London in 2013, Black exhibited his debut show at London Opera Gallery. Since then, Black’s works have been well received. He has exhibited internationally in Hong Kong, New York, London, Paris, Dallas, Cannes, Dubai and Singapore.