VIDEO CLIP:
Feb 2, 2022, "Artist Joan Cox talks about her oil painting 'Night Hunger' that was selected for the upcoming GMCW PORTRAITS project that has commissioned music, lyrics and dance that will culminate in a performance at The Kennedy Center in June 2024."

Joan Cox ( @joancoxartist ) is a visionary Queer painter based in Baltimore, Maryland. Although her work fits into the context of identity politics, with equal parts feminist agenda and lesbian narrative, truthfully, they’re all about human intimacy. Cox’s lush narrative paintings present the viewer with richly symbolic images of intimate relationships between two women, acknowledging and emphasizing the female gaze. We invite you to delve even deeper into the world of Joan’s paintings. Tune in to our enlightening interview with the podcast, ‘The Bureau of Queer Art,’ where she shares stories behind her work. Visit Artsy.net, the collector’s platform, to witness the beauty of her creations and perhaps even add a piece to your collection. If you’re in Ciudad de Mexico, join us at the Art Gallery Studios, where her work comes to life during the length of the exhibition. We're casting for our 2024 adventures: art fairs, exhibitions, and our very own The Bureau of Queer Art podcasts and magazines. ArtGalleryStudios.com Subscribe to the Podcast with Apple, Spotify, or iHeart #QueerArt #QueerArtists

Full article available at link above.

Excerpt about my work:

Tamara de Lempicka, Claude Cahun, Lili Elbe… Many queer artists practiced their art in the Paris of the Roaring Twenties, a period of intense social, economic and cultural activity between the wars. More or less known during their lifetime, their work is influenced by their own explorations of sexuality, identity and gender. How do the themes and perspectives of queer art from the Roaring Twenties find echo and transformation in contemporary queer gaze*? This article offers an exploration of 3 queer artists from the last century, and draws parallels with the themes that still resonate in the works of contemporary queer artists.

American painter, Joan Cox (born 1969) is known for her highly detailed paintings usually featuring lesbian couples. Spectators witness intimate moments, tender scenes, sometimes sexual, between these characters. Her art stands in opposition to the eroticization of female bodies thought only by and for the male spectator.

In this way, her work escapes traditional representations of the female body. Furthermore, many of her characters are painted with androgynous features. Her work thus contributes to the feminization of the gaze in art and to a greater representation of sapphic love, which is still too little exposed.

Joan Cox, Our Dream, 2013, Oil on Canvas, 157.5×106.7×7.6 cm © Joan Cox, Courtesy of Dabster Arts Inc

Joan Cox, In the Garden of Autumn, 2021, 137.2×208.3×7.6 cm © Joan Cox, Courtesy of Dabster Arts Inc.

Joan Cox, Night Hunger, After Xenia Hausner, 2012, 127×152.4×5.1 cm © Joan Cox, Courtesy of Dabster Arts Inc.

Gallery Blue Door Pride exhibition at Emmanuel Episcopal Church Community Gallery...preview and interview on local CBS news tv.

If you’re an avid listener of the NOT REAL ART podcast, you already know art has the ability to connect people across cultures and express ideas that words can’t. Art, in all its forms, has immense power to shape our beliefs. Authentic representation can break down social barriers, open minds, and even become a source of inspiration.

On today’s episode, host Scott “Sourdough” Power sits down with figurative painter and NOT REAL ART grant winner Joan Cox to discuss the power of representation and visibility in the arts. Working large-scale, Joan creates richly detailed visual narratives that portray queer relationships as complex, beautiful, and necessary. “I look to [artists of color] who are doing beautiful things with figurative work to be inspired by them and do the same with queer work,” she tells Scott. “Trying to put that painting out there, that image, that narrative, that [lesbians] are just the same as every other couple.”

Historically speaking, Joan tells us, images of lesbian couples have either been repressed or justified as erotic material for the male gaze. “You walk into a museum and you see thousands of years of history of Western art where—if you see two or three women together—they’re just to be viewed by men,” she says “They’re dancing naked in a circle [or] they’re sitting naked on a lawn or they’re pretending to be some [mythical creatures], rather than their authentic selves.” Inspired by the couples in her community, Joan shifts our perspective by demystifying queer relationships—including her own. In her paintings she often appears alongside her partner of 21 years as they reenact mundane yet intimate moments from their lives. By celebrating the female gaze, Joan’s work opens up dialogue through a complex investigation of cultural norms, sexual identities, and body politics.

Tune into this week’s episode to hear all about Joan’s journey into the world of queer art. You’ll hear why she believes nuanced representation of the human experience can create understanding and help facilitate difficult conversations. We also touch on the importance of creative expression, why culture is like a constantly moving river, and what it means to be either a switch blade or Swiss Army knife. Make sure you don’t miss our compelling conversation with NOT REAL ART grant winner Joan Cox.

In Today’s Podcast Episode

Joan Cox discusses…

When she began to call herself an artist and when she came out as queer
A look at how creative talent runs in Joan’s family
How she selects her subjects, some of whom are total strangers
Being awarded the 2022 NOT REAL ART grant
What 2023 holds for her as a fine artist and a commercial graphic designer
Why she believes there’s no handbook for making a living as an artist
How her practice has changed since COVID and becoming a mother
Why there’s nothing wrong with putting your artwork on a mousepad!
What art school taught her about always being an artist, no matter what she’s doing

#ILoveGay Today meets up with Joan Cox, artist and business leader from Baltimore, Maryland. Join us as we chat about Joan's history with the Maryland LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce, as well as her design business, Peacox Design, and her true passion, her art. Joan creates richly detailed visual narratives that portray queer relationships as complex, beautiful, and necessary. Bringing a unique perspective to how she portrays lesbians in her full-size works, her talent and success has her art being curated in exhibitions all throughout the region.

Destiny meets podcast! The universe kept bringing artist Joan Cox into our orbit and we knew we had to interview her! Join us as Joan shares how she found her purpose as an artist, how she goes for her dreams, and how she uses her art to bring beauty and social awareness to the world!

Painter Joan Cox talks about her inspirations and goals for her upcoming show, Frauenhaus, at Catalyst Contemporary in Baltimore.

I was interviewed about my work in my studio by Kat Harvey of Success Nothing Less from Washington, DC. Watch the complete video on YouTube for a peak inide my studio and insight into my paintings of lesbian couples.

I discuss the content of my work, my processes and take the viewer on a tour of my studio. I made this video during my final residency as part of my MFA studies through Massachusetts College of Art and Designs' low-residency program at the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, Massachusetts.

check out art in progress on my Facebook page plus info on events and art openings...become a fan!

Craving Art is my blog. . .started in April 2009 and
inspired by my upcoming journey to Austria. I will be
studying with artist Xenia Hausner for three weeks and
this blog will detail my adventures!