Joshua Rodriguez

Joshua Anthony Rodriguez

My name is Joshua Anthony Rodriguez. I am a self-taught Chicano artist, photographer, creative director, musician, and writer from San Antonio, TX.

Since 2015, I have worked on a variety of projects ranging from D.I.Y. street art to professional galleries. Through my work, I aim to further knowledge and unity within my community and to further the collective understanding of the human experience. My work tends to explore mental health, societal norms, technology, and spiritualism.

In 2017, I joined The Black Sheep Art Collective, a group founded by the artist Mauro de la Tierra. Over the years, Black Sheep has conducted six pop-up gallery exhibitions at spaces such as The Parish, Movement Gallery, and Galeria E.V.A.

Since then, my other projects have included writing for a graphic novel series called Tales From The Abando, directing and creating for two large-scale group exhibitions (Wild Ruins, Wild Orientations and Exit), and extensively documenting live music as a photographer and videographer. Recently, I was invited as official media for the 2023 Oblivion Access festival in Austin, TX as well as having my work published in a photo book by the Loma Vista Recordings group Show Me The Body.

My work has been featured in publications such as La Prensa, San Antonio Current, and The Paisano and spaces including N4U Gallery, Presa House, and Brick. My photography has also been displayed on records, tapes, promotional materials, and merch by a number of prominent bands.

Artist Statement of Work

Tell us about your work (style, approach, philosophy, subject and/or theme):

Coming from my experiences with learning how to use a camera through fast-paced street and punk show photography or with learning how to use a guitar by immediately starting a band, I have always carried a personal philosophy of allowing art to remain "raw" and "true". That informs every aspect of every medium I work with. With photography, that means that I will often use a manually-focused point-and-shoot style instead of lingering too heavily on "the perfect shot" or heavy editing. This can be seen in any of my live music photography or moving action shots. Film grain and exposure are also tools that create my unique style, which is typically shot in harsh, highly-contrasted black and white. My style has often been described as "energetic" or "feeling". With writing, this philosophy means approaching a subject with an honest, journalistic perspective with no fluff. It is simply putting pen to paper as the subject informs the writing. Sometimes that appears as free-associative writing in a script or creative piece, or it means leaving an unedited quote from an interviewee. To me, it is the documentation and act of creating that is more important than the aesthetic ideal.

That is all to say, my approach and style with my art aims to get to the purest essence of the subject as it exists. The subject should be felt through the screen or lens or paper, as if it were present in the room with the observer. Capturing emotion, awkwardness, vulnerability, strength and compassion are paramount in my approach.