Hobbesian Masks, 2024. Josh Tripoli, artist
Artist Josh Tripoli’s solo exhibition, Mantra, is on display through Saturday, June 28, at BlackBird Frame & Art in Asheville. This marks his first solo show in Asheville and includes a dynamic collection of 19 new abstract paintings, dozens of small drawings and past works that bridge the figurative and abstract. “‘Mantra’ is a word that really gets to the heart of my work and covers a wide range of inspirations and motivations,” he says. “Just as mantra is a repeated word to aid in meditation; each mark, daub, slash of paint is my mantra toward the same spiritual ends. This fundamental simplicity leads to incredibly complex, detailed images, fully charged with the emotions, thoughts and experiences of the moment—a mirror to one’s heart and soul.”
Laniakea. Josh Tripoli, artist
The show includes both brand-new, highly textured abstract paintings and past figurative works. The abstract pieces, particularly, reflect Tripoli’s unique evolution in technique. “Conceived as a whole and worked simultaneously—often many at a time—the most recent ‘all-over’ abstracts were initially inspired by the microscopic barbs on the feathers of Birds of Paradise, specifically the way these structures hold light in patterns to create incredibly vivid colors without brightly colored pigmentation,” he says. “This textural concept paired with the focalizing powers of monochromy and repetition forged a new, more intentional path forward from the more chaotic abstracts I began with in 2012.”
The small drawings featured in the exhibition are integral to Tripoli’s creative process. “I start them as studies or experiments, but also intend them as finished pieces in their own right,” Tripoli says. “I like that they offer a window into my creative process and emphasize how fundamental the act of drawing is to the act of painting.”
As viewers experience the show, Tripoli hopes they will find a connection to something deeper. “I want my art to inspire a deeper connection to oneself, to others, to the world around us,” he says.
BlackBird Frame & Art is located at 365 Merrimon Avenue, Asheville. Admission to the gallery is free and open to the public. Learn more at BlackBirdFrame.com or call 828.225.3117.
