Rethinking something that has already been stated and accepted by the art society has always been tricky for an artist. However, Joe Cruz dares to challenge this notion, with his only weapons being his pastel colors. Old photographs, iconic statues and classic portraits win over the stage of contemporary art with Cruz proving that art is indeed, timeless.
Cruz works on two basic levels: forms and colors. The details of bright turquoise, yellow, peach and fuchsia bring out the hidden nature of pop culture behind the desaturated pieces while at the same time unlocking the trapped movement of the still forms. Moreover, the collage effect he chooses for most of his works confutes the absolute of the classic, creating a conflict between the already existing formality and the energy of these iconic pieces. The visual interventions, however, do not always happen incidentally as Joe chooses to make subtle but nonetheless strong comments on the modern society and the moral basis it has been constructed on.