Joshua Ostraff
(Soldotna, AK)

Thin Walls: Out of the Shower, Acrylic on Wood Panel, 36" x 43.25" x 1"

Several years ago, I had woken one morning and had gone into my bathroom to brush my teeth and while I was doing that, I began to hear other teeth brushing sounds. It hit me; my neighbor and I were staring at the same spot on the wall due to apartment plumbing. In this simple moment I realized the simultaneous nature of living. Since then, I have investigated sounds and interactions thin walls are unable to contain. What I gather is limited, can be amusing, might be an annoyance, sometimes is alarming, but they represent qualities that are valuable to me. As I paint I feel like the human figures are treated like geological formations. I simplify and at times eliminate lines, compositional structures, and layers of paint, leaving just enough information to define certain boundaries. Formed over time the figures emerge and represent the parts of the original moment that stand out to me. In this way depicting less feels like I am saying more.