Life is still beautiful

• Main Author: Black, Joshua Steven
• Other Authors: Barbuzza, Isabel
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: University of Iowa 2011
• Subjects: Art Practice
• Online Access: https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/1204; https://ir.uiowa.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2588&context=etd

My individual journey as an artist has allowed me to develop in what can be considered two societal extremes; growing up in condensed suburban Southern California to living in rural mid-American Iowa. This change in settings caused me to question how the environment one grows up in influences his cultural and social perspective. Within this environment exists a support structure of family, friends, and community who also play a large role in how an individual's perception develops, including concepts of honesty, integrity, and ethics- but to what extent? This question of how different circumstances and interactions define our beliefs and values is the heart of my artistic practice.