Today we’d like to introduce you to Joseph Lazzari.
Joseph, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I’ve wanted to be an artist and a musician most of my life. I was fortunate enough to have art classes in grade school and those were the only scholastic environments that I really felt comfortable and productive in at the time. I think that sealed the deal for me. I got an art degree and became a dedicated creative jack of all trades. I learned woodworking, metalworking, mold making and casting, painting, drawing, and sculpting in school and on the job. Now I make custom furniture, art, and scenery for a living. Oh, and I lose a decent amount of money playing music too.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
My artistic energy is divided among fine art, functional art, and music. While these disciplines are very different in many ways, the intent is much the same. Art is communication. Its all a dialogue between the artist and the viewer/listener. A commissioned piece of furniture is a dialogue between a client and me as much as any painting or song is. The language may be more practical and less metaphorical, but still. I’m compelled to communicate with other people, so I make art.
What do you know now that you wished you had learned earlier?
Advice:
Do what you do wholeheartedly or don’t do it at all.
Don’t be afraid to call yourself an artist even if no one else will.
Read Bruce Mau’s An Incomplete Manifesto for Growth http://www.manifestoproject.it/bruce-mau/.
Listen to Bruce Springsteen’s No Surrender.
Lesson I wish I learned earlier:
I wish I learned to believe in myself earlier.
I wish I took bigger risks sooner.
I wish I made traveling/studying abroad more of a priority when I was younger.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
You can find my work online at www.josephlazzari.com. I document my process often on Instagram @joseph_lazzari.
Since May, I’ve been a part of the restoration efforts of The Cyclorama. I, along with a few other local artists, have spent months repainting the painting’s entire sky to recreate its original appearance from 1886. Thanks to The Atlanta History Center’s efforts, This new exhibit will be incredible and you’ll be able to see it in early 2019.
Also, my band Reconciler has a new full-length LP coming out in January on A-F Records. It will be available on vinyl and digitally everywhere.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.josephlazzari.com
- Email: joseph.lazzari@gmail.com
- Instagram: @joseph_lazzari @reconcileratl
Image Credit:
Personal photo credit: Nicole Kibert
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