christopher joyce : art + design

Christopher Joyce’s inquisitiveness is borne foremost from his deep interest in material. For Joyce, form is discovery – revealed through his knack of seeing a material’s inherent potential; from his tinker’s sensibility for how a substance can be engaged.

Found objects, industrial and natural materials, ceramics and fibre have all found their way into Joyce’s production and play. Early functional works created from recycled objects (including automobile parts, steel, plexiglass and paper), demonstrated his enthusiasm for exploring and expanding a material’s use.

Alongside his work as one of Atlantic Canada’s best designers of contemporary functional works (in particular, furniture) Joyce has continued to explore interests in image-making. His early training in printmaking and ceramics continue to serve him well. The formal parameters of a lithographer’s stone blend with the potter’s plastic manipulation of clay. These skills and attitudes have served Joyce well as a designer as they have lately informed his painting.

Bruce Johnson (2004)
Curator of Contemporary Art
Art Gallery of Newfoundland and Labrador
St. John’s