Joseph Begnaud
People are ultimately unknowable in their depth, and complexity and I wish to recreate some small part of this mysterious interaction through painting. It’s a singular event for one mind at a time, a conversation between object and viewer. Painting may be inefficient as a means of direct communication in the digital age, yet its power stems from this inefficiency and the widening contrast that is offered by this particular physical experience. A painting is a place to stop, to slow down, to wander and get lost.
–Joseph Begnaud
Sleep has been in the news, from reporting on its restorative value for the immune system to changes in people's sleep schedules and the versatility of pajamas, now worn by all ages at any hour.
For this NC Artist Highlights we reached out to Joseph Begnaud in in Laurinton, NC. Begnaud teaches painting at UNC Pembroke and directs the university art gallery. His work was presented in last year’s Winter Show and will be included in GreenHill’s figurative art survey PRESENCE.
For this NC Artist Highlights we reached out to Joseph Begnaud in in Laurinton, NC. Begnaud teaches painting at UNC Pembroke and directs the university art gallery. His work was presented in last year’s Winter Show and will be included in GreenHill’s figurative art survey PRESENCE.
Joseph Begnaud, Icarus Dreaming, 1996, Oil, Alkyd,on Panel, 80 x 36 inches, Private Collection, Nashville, TN (left)
Joseph Begnaud, Icarus, 1996, oil, alkyd on panel, 80 x 36 inches, Private Collection, Saint Louis, Missouri (right)
Sleep has long held a fascination for the artist and is a recurring theme in his work, which he spoke about with Edie Carpenter:
What first attracted you to the theme of sleep in your paintings from the 90’s?
The sleep series of paintings were inspired by a night of insomnia near the end of my first trip abroad in Italy. I realized that from an overhead perspective, my restless reclining motions mimicked some of the dramatic Baroque flying poses I had been looking at, and I was inspired to recreate these references in a contemporary context. After working through the series over two years, it became more clear that I was interested in depicting the body as the seat of consciousness, and that the sleeping, or half-sleeping, figure is an apt metaphor for the wanderings of the mind.
Night scenes of figures isolated in landscapes are also a theme in many of your works?
A nice thing about old work, like any art, is that it is constantly changing as we reread it with fresh eyes and our current concerns. Edward Hopper has been getting press lately comparing his isolated figures to our now common experiences of isolation under the Covid-19 stay-at-home orders. Certainly, Hopper remains a big influence, as I too have spent much of my work focusing on the single figure in a portrait or narrative format. Without a social setting, the dialogue turns inwards, leaving a sense of mystery as to what is taking place. Night and winter as subjects also reference the subconscious mind, but they are also times of quiet, withdrawal, and gestation.
Has your recent work been influenced by recent stay-at-home orders?
My subjects tend to develop slowly, so it is hard to say. I have recognized that the world at large has shifted to such a degree that life imitates art. Many artists are already accustomed to hours on end in isolation in the studio; to cite a common meme, we have been preparing our whole lives for quarantine. The rest of the world is catching up with us on a little introspection. It is also a tragic and horrible time-- full of fear, death, and uncertainty. I think the art that provides comfort during this time will be of a different sort than what has been getting attention.
Do you have any advice for sleeping well during this strange period?
I personally follow the recommendation of if you cannot sleep, get up and do something to help you wind down again. Resist the urge to work, watch a screen, or to do something productive. Draw or write something, even if it is ridiculous. Let your mind wander, learn to enjoy its wanderings. Enjoy the night’s strangeness, breathe deeply, and enjoy the solitude. When you start to yawn, return to bed, and close your eyes. Stretch out as peacefully as you can. Imagine you are looking down at your body. Think about what a nice painting you would make.
What first attracted you to the theme of sleep in your paintings from the 90’s?
The sleep series of paintings were inspired by a night of insomnia near the end of my first trip abroad in Italy. I realized that from an overhead perspective, my restless reclining motions mimicked some of the dramatic Baroque flying poses I had been looking at, and I was inspired to recreate these references in a contemporary context. After working through the series over two years, it became more clear that I was interested in depicting the body as the seat of consciousness, and that the sleeping, or half-sleeping, figure is an apt metaphor for the wanderings of the mind.
Night scenes of figures isolated in landscapes are also a theme in many of your works?
A nice thing about old work, like any art, is that it is constantly changing as we reread it with fresh eyes and our current concerns. Edward Hopper has been getting press lately comparing his isolated figures to our now common experiences of isolation under the Covid-19 stay-at-home orders. Certainly, Hopper remains a big influence, as I too have spent much of my work focusing on the single figure in a portrait or narrative format. Without a social setting, the dialogue turns inwards, leaving a sense of mystery as to what is taking place. Night and winter as subjects also reference the subconscious mind, but they are also times of quiet, withdrawal, and gestation.
Has your recent work been influenced by recent stay-at-home orders?
My subjects tend to develop slowly, so it is hard to say. I have recognized that the world at large has shifted to such a degree that life imitates art. Many artists are already accustomed to hours on end in isolation in the studio; to cite a common meme, we have been preparing our whole lives for quarantine. The rest of the world is catching up with us on a little introspection. It is also a tragic and horrible time-- full of fear, death, and uncertainty. I think the art that provides comfort during this time will be of a different sort than what has been getting attention.
Do you have any advice for sleeping well during this strange period?
I personally follow the recommendation of if you cannot sleep, get up and do something to help you wind down again. Resist the urge to work, watch a screen, or to do something productive. Draw or write something, even if it is ridiculous. Let your mind wander, learn to enjoy its wanderings. Enjoy the night’s strangeness, breathe deeply, and enjoy the solitude. When you start to yawn, return to bed, and close your eyes. Stretch out as peacefully as you can. Imagine you are looking down at your body. Think about what a nice painting you would make.
Joseph Begnaud, Anxiety, 2020, oil on canvas, 48 x 48 inches
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