Featured Artist Joseph Kehoe

Artist Joseph Kehoe incorporates indigenous and historical influences into his inspired Southwest metal sculpture. See more by visiting his website.

 

 

Even though I was born many thousands of miles away, the American Southwest feels like my true spiritual home. The ancient rock art found along the canyon walls there has always whispered to me. It haunts and inspires my salvaged metal art.

 

 

But those petroglyphs and pictographs don’t communicate with me in a language that I necessarily understand. Most people look at rock art from an academic point of view, attempting to decipher some sort of meaning. They ask themselves, what was the artist trying to say? Although history was my major in college, I don’t take that approach. I set aside intellect and aim for a deeper understanding, focusing instead on the spirit of the art.

 

 

I haven’t personally visited every piece of rock art that has inspired my work, but I try to get to as many as I can. Sometimes a particular petroglyph might be by the side of the road. Other times it’s located at the end of a long hiking trail. And there are those times when, despite my best efforts, the painting or carving remains elusive and out of reach. That forces me to return to the trailhead with an emptiness in my camera and an aching in my soul.

 

 

Still, it doesn’t feel like failure. The journey, through an unparalleled world of natural beauty, is its own reward.

 

 

Whenever possible, I incorporate discarded metal when creating my shamans, kachinas, and animal spirits. I love the challenge of salvaging something out of what others view as worthless. I am drawn to dents and scratches, muted colors and patina. I’m particularly pulled in by that rust, with its texture and depth. To me, it represents character and the passage of time.

 

 

I find most of my material at scrap yards. On the surface, these industrial wastelands are probably as far as I could get from the beautiful places where I find my inspiration. And yet…each visit takes on the feel of a treasure hunt. The thrill of discovery fuels my creativity.

 

 

I may return to interpret the same petroglyph many times. In the end, each piece will be unique. With the help of a welder, a plasma cutter, and an angle grinder all my work is done by hand, ensuring that no two sculptures are ever the same.

 

 

I was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. My maternal lineage includes indigenous ancestors from the Rio de la Plata region. So in a very real sense, rock art runs in my blood.

 

 

I don’t believe or pretend that my pieces possess any special powers, but I’ve been told by some collectors that for them they represent guidance, protection, or spiritual growth. People have said that when they are near my art, they are often left with a sense of peace and an appreciation for beauty. And for that I am humbled and grateful.

 

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