Josh Rosenthal (artist)

Josh Rosenthal (born in Melbourne, Australia 1971) is an Australian artist living and working in the USA.

Early Life Acting and Art

Josh's early years as a young boy were surrounded by his parents significant Australian art collection which included such artist's as John Perceval, Charles Blackman, Fred Williams, Brett Whitely, Norman Lindsay, Roy DeMaistre among others,all who left an impressionable influence on him. Thanks to the deep passion and enthusiasm that Josh’s parents had for art, and their direct social connection to the world of art, Josh was exposed to many artist’s works first hand from around the world, both historical and contemporary.

Joshua took up painting at age 13 against the backdrop of an increasingly fragmented and dysfunctional home. The sense of deep isolation Josh felt from this became his focus and oil and canvas became his most powerful means of expression which is still evident in his thematic work today.

Joshua began his art education and Wesley College In Melbourne where he was distinguished with the Art Award for Excellence and graduated with the highest mark in the state in Fine Arts. As a consequence he was invited to exhibit in Australia's national public galleries as part of a touring show. He went on to a degree at the prestigious National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA) in Sydney in 1994.

On graduating Josh enjoyed a professional and brief career in acting before turning to painting full time. He appeared in many Australian TV shows such as "Police Rescue", "Water Rats", the very popular soap series "Home and Away", "Heartlands" and the film "The Bet".

Josh's most noticeable performances were in the world premiere of Louis Nowra's 1998 production of 'The Jungle' where his character of the Romanian opportunist was said to be 'Streep-like'. 'The Jungle' chronicled the back room dealings of many of Sydney Australia's socialites and notorious underworld dealings and figures from the mid to late 1980's. His other noted performance was as the angry scott Brodie in the 2003 production of Sir Tom Stoppard's 'The Real Thing' where he played opposite the Australian well known actor Hugo Weaving at the Sydney Theatre Company.

Josh's early theatrical career provided a strong base for his painting's subject matter developing his very narrative-driven style.

The Art of Josh Rosenthal

Josh's work is an exploration of the individual and often unconscious segments that make up our character along with the distant emotions that form our psyche.

The various subject matters, which include voyeurs, innocents and the more seedy characters of society, placed inside isolated scenes and backdrops are an extraction of common elements within us all.

The viewer forms a relationship with the characters, both human and animal, in Joshua's works. The irony being that at first look the figures seem isolated and lonely but inherently have a depth that draws the viewer into the soul. There is a very strong connection that ties the viewer to the emotional world of Josh’s figures as his work often searches for ways to 'touch' the viewer.

The shadows, the blur of a moving body part, the smudge of a lip or the additional body outline are symbols that he often uses throughout his works help the viewer to access and discover what lies below our human façades, our deep, dark inner workings.

His work is often described as being full of colors that are vibrant and alive and totally devoid of muddiness. His startling and curious subject matter resonates with a certainty that indicates that he is fully in control of his artistic prowess.

Filmography

  • "The Bet" (2006)
  • "Go Big" (2004)
  • "Home and Away" (1997-2003)
  • "[...] Call" (1998)
  • "Water Rats" (1996)
  • "Bordertown" (1995)
  • "Police Rescue" (1995)

Selected Solo Exhibitions - USA

  • Lurie Galleries Beverly Hills, California 2008

Selected Group Exhibitions - USA

  • "Almost Famous" Venice Arts Council, Venice California 2007
  • "Art Registry", Chase Contemporary Arts & Sotheby's International Washington DC 2007
  • "Venice Art Walk", Venice California, 2006
  • "Almost Famous" Venice Arts Council, Venice California 2006
  • "Art Express", National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne Australia, 1989

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