We were lucky to catch up with Joseph Salerno recently and have shared our conversation below.
Joseph, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
My partner played a very big part in building my confidence with one simple truth. Each time I would poo-poo myself and say something like “oh, I’m not an artist” or “this piece isn’t good enough” or “I’m never going to be able to live off my art” she would tell me “well, you don’t know that”. And she would sort-of drill that into me. I couldn’t disagree with her logic and each time she said it I would get this great clarity and freedom of mind.
The harsh judgements we place on ourselves can be crippling and if we can remember our futures are not set in stone (no pun intended) then we can just as easily believe that everything we want still may be right around the corner.
With this simple understanding I could approach life from a positive perspective instead of a negative and each time I did I exercised the power I have over my very irrational fear of not being enough.
She gave me real power.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I make sculptures from concrete and raw construction materials. I try to find a ways to create elegance in a material so often regarded as rough and crude. While most of my work can be considered abstract figurative sometimes I’m simply playing with geometric shapes and the movement of the wire in which holds them. My father was a jeweler and I find that even now I’m taking after him as I’m setting stone.
Currently I’m working on much larger pieces and dialing and my process making sure that structurally the pieces are sound instead of delicate compared to my smaller works of art.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Patience, presence, perspective.
Working with concrete is interesting. It can be wild at times and it can go absolutely not the way you planned. You have to keep working with it to understand the spectrum of consistencies especially when deciding whether you’re pouring a mold, spraying and back coating, or applying like clay.
When I make art I am always focused and present. I don’t look on the past or the future when creating. In the moment if something doesn’t feel right I change it and if I don’t like it I change it again and if I don’t like it I change it again until I get to something that gives me direction.
I will often move around my work as I’m creating it because I want it to be beautiful from all angles. It’s very important that if I bend a wire it looks balanced with the other parts of the sculpture at all times, and all directions. This helps to truly shape my work and give an overall balance that I believe is aesthetically pleasing to the eye regardless of subject matter.
Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
My first professional job with concrete is here in Los Angeles right where my studio is. I worked for Patrick Cain designs and Patrick has helped me immensely with products, application, and how to let go when things aren’t going as you planned. He has a materials science background and truly enjoys experimenting which definitely falls in line with my own approach.
My friends have also made a huge impact on me as they continue to keep pushing me forward knowing how difficult it is to create art for a living. Every time I poo poo something they explain why it’s important, how it has helped me, and are always ready to make suggestions where I can go next. For as particular and perfectionist as I can be, this always helps immensely. They probably don’t think I’m listening but I always am.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/josephsalerno_
Image Credits
Off photography done by myself
