Joseph Abbati

This painting is from a series titled Queeries. Joseph Abbati’s work addresses concerns over visibility and body-positive celebration in the queer community. His paintings focus on gay male pleasure, gaze, and desire. He is interested in the ways that social standards (on social media especially) pressure queer men themselves to fit into heteronormative expectations. His works act as an archive of the censored, but they are also just plain fun in their approach. Joseph’s bright, pop-art styling has a print-like quality, with off register lines and bright solid blocks of color. The titles and imagery deal up puns and visual jokes which brings humor and levity to the work. He has remained busy working on new techniques and paintings during the pandemic. He looks forward to getting out more and socializing because the isolation, while allowing him to concentrate on his work, has reminded him how much we need each other to share the fruits of our labor.