Joseph Coniff

Region: West

City / State: Philadelphia, PA

In my current work, I’m focused on themes and ideas pertaining to perception and the perceptual process as it relates to the acknowledgment and visual hierarchy of objects. In our daily interaction with the physical world, we continually encounter an array of stimuli, both muted and strident. I attempt to annotate this relationship through arranged, presented materials.

When developing work, concept always informs the chosen medium. Through the created object I invite viewers to reflect on experiences, analyze relationships, and question the nature of their surroundings.

Familiar objects and materials, refashioned or unaltered, function in my work as a set basis. This basis makes use of shared cultural knowledge, highlighting parallels in the experience and understanding of materials and objects and their role and significance within contemporary life.

By utilizing a common object knowledge base, I hope to inform viewers’ interpretation of the material as it relates to subject matter. By isolating and stripping away surrounding stimulants, I direct the focus to the presentation of the object, making way for an uninterrupted conscious evaluation.