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 This Is This!
Joseph Daniel Fiedler, "Joey", was born in Western Pennsylvania and educated at Carnegie Mellon University. Since 1973 he has made his living as an artist-illustrator-educator. He fuses his philosophy and love of nature into editorial illustrations for clients including the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, New Orleans Magazine, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Boston Globe and Arizona Highways, among others. Fiedler, is also the illustrator of several books for young readers, including The Crystal Heart: A Vietnamese Legend, by Aaron Shepard, Hatshepsut: His Majesty, Herself, by Catherine M. Andronik, and Juan Verdades: The Man Who Couldn't Tell a Lie, a folk story from the southwest retold by Joe Hayes. Joseph earned a prestigious Kirkus Review for his work on The Crystal Heart, “Exquisite artwork; the landscapes are magically transporting, while the lustrous colors radiate an antique, spiritual quality.” “Densely hued paintings of almost theatrical tableaux.” said Publisher’s Weekly. Reviewing Juan Verdades in Childhood Education, Eileen L. Shultz dubbed Fiedler's illustrations "exquisite." Reviewers have also praised Fiedler's illustrations for Hatshepsut. Beth Tegart, writing in School Library Journal, noted that "Fiedler's rich-toned alkyd paintings," with their "stylized renderings of Egyptian life, artwork, and scenery," combine with Andronik's text to "offer a complete and detailed life story." A Publishers Weekly critic noted a response to Hatshepsut, writing that Fiedler's "stately" oil paintings "make this historical figure all the more real and intriguing." Fiedler's work is smart, peculiar, bizarre, and funny! The combination of painting and drawing, the use of narrative in a disjointed, completely unexpected way, and the subtle appropriation of cultural influences explore aspects of the natural world and our place in it. Repurposing a Golden Guides aesthetic, Fiedler composes allegories that make pointed, sometimes sidelong allusions to everything from conservationism, consumption, war, politics and imperialism. Some paintings parody the field-and-stream school of mantelpiece art, while others imagine a world in which ducks’ heads grow on foliage or plants imitate bird forms. Historicism abounds yet the work asserts a contemporary flair, borrowing from and reconfiguring traditional templates while expanding narrative boundaries. Fiedler's remarkable empathy elevates his tradition-based, digitally-enhanced compositions from mere "little pictures" to invocations that serve as a way to connect with the divine and seek meaning and solace [albeit temporarily] in a swirling world of constant change. More recently, in the crippling Long Tail aftermath of the Covid 19 pandemic, Fiedler has created over 1,800 culturally diverse, digital portraits. Displacement and assimilation have been newsworthy in recent years due to mass migrations of refugees from oppressive regimes now sweeping the planet along with war, famine and genocide following suit. Among visages chosen for inclusion are numerous contributors to the culture of the African Diaspora as well as various significant figures impacting our contemporary socio-political scene. In the age of Ai and Chat-bots, Fiedler hopes to humbly advance the general understanding of these diverse characters and their contributions to the unique cultural stew we call America under the title "The Never Ending Portrait Project". Examples of this new work are included in the book "Illustration: A Theoretical Perspective" by Alan Male, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. and "LA Affairs: 65 True Stories" published by the Los Angeles Times. This work contributes to the current debate about the persistence of tribalism, racism and speciesism in the world and optimistically alludes to what biologist E.O. Wilson calls “consilience,” or a coming together in order to move forward. "...fiedler's rich, tactile "brushstrokes" make you want to sneak up close and touch. Layers of meaning stir viewers making emotional connections that feel personal, unique and sometimes unexpected." Crystal Falcione, Magnet Reps. Awards Joseph has received many professional awards, including a Silver Medal from the Society of Illustrators, two ADDY awards, two Golden Quill Awards, two Gold Medals and four Silver Medals from the Broadcasting Design Awards (International), and a Gold Medal and Merit from the 4th Annual Healthcare Advertising Awards. In addition, numerous publications such as Graphis, Print, Communication Arts, American Illustration, the Society of Publication Designers, The Spectrum International Annual of Fantastic Art, Luerzer’s Archive and Taschen Publishing have recognized his distinctive work. His paintings have been shown in over 75 gallery and museum exhibitions throughout the United States, Germany, Japan and Israel. Selected Clients NPR, The New York Observer, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Boston Globe, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times,The Detroit Free Press, Harvard, Notre Dame, Brigham Young, Baylor, The University of Pittsburgh, Business Week, Time, New Orleans Magazine, Flaunt Magazine, Hadassah Magazine, Arizona Highways, Simon & Schuster, St. Martins Press, Random House... Interviews • The Nevada City Union • Foggy Grizzly |
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