Bio:
Joe Batt is originally from South Dakota, in the U.S. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of South Dakota and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Montana. Currently, Joe is full time art faculty at South Puget Sound Community College in Olympia, Washington. He has also taught at California State University, Chico, California; the University of Montana, in Missoula, Montana; Lower Columbia College in Longview, Washington; and Metchosin International Summer School of the Arts in Victoria, B.C.
Recent work includes narrative clay figures, installation, and mixed media pieces which feature hares and children as the main characters. These works are part of an ongoing exploration of innocence, endurance, and our relationship with technology and the natural world.
Joe has been a McKnight Artist in Residence at the Northern Clay Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has also done residencies at Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts in Newcastle, Maine, and Otago School of Art in Dunedin, New Zealand.
Artist Statement:
The clay hares in the exhibition are a continuation of my Hares series, using colored pencils for finishing. Pedaling Hare is also smoke fired, which gives it the dark, reduced areas of depth. His pose is meant to imply motion. Reclining Hare is an example of adding a companion piece to the sculpture to add a dimension to the story. Bear with Bunny happened suddenly, to challenge myself with another form. Unlike the hares in this exhibit, he is anthropomorphized…and so he is wearing a onesie for the occasion.
The digital and mixed media collages were done during a recent sabbatical. I wanted to create 2D compositions and attach them to a wood backing and add certain parts in relief to create dimensionality, sort of like a pop-up card. I started by photographing landscapes, old buildings, signage, sketches, and textures. These were collaged together in Photoshop and printed. Parts were cut from a second print and all were attached to a wood backing and layered together. Colored pencil and watercolor were added for subtle effects. To me these pieces are somewhat narrative. I like this kind of work because it happens more spontaneously than the 3D works.
Our relationship with nature is an ongoing area of exploration in my work. Lately I have been reading essays of travel and nature by Barry Lopez. In particular, his essay The American Geographies has captured my imagination. In summer of 2023 I was amazed to observe the duck sitting on her nest in an alley in downtown Olympia. It takes about four weeks for duck eggs to hatch. From what I can tell she was successful.