Jeff Reed

River Bend

2025

Represented by George Billis Gallery in Westport CT.

Represented by George Billis Gallery in Westport CT.

Joseph Orr (Japanese, American, b. 1949) River Access Signed Lower Right 30 x 30 inches 39.5 x 39.5 inches with frame BORN in Tokyo, Japan, Oct 31,1949, Joseph lived his first years in an orphanage sponsored by American Armed Forces. He was adopted April,1954 and came to the US at age 5 where he became an American citizen. As the Orr’s traveled for the US military Joseph enjoyed a childhood rich in experiences from Germany and back to California where he attended High School and started College. Following his parents to Missouri In 1971 he took a job with Hallmark Cards as machine operator in the cardboard fold dept. It sparked an interest in art, so after a few months he sought out some of the Hallmark artists at their work for private lessons. He learned basic drawing and watercolor from Anthony Allison and, “Probably before I was ready”, he admits, Joseph was entering local art shows and even winning prizes. At that time Joseph also enrolled for art instruction under John Coleman at Longview Community College. He spent one semester there. By the end of 1972 Joseph had quit his day job to become a full time painter, joining an art show tour group called Word Of Art, which was a new concept: culture meets promotion. Booking weekly art exhibits in the new indoor shopping malls across America, The idea transformed part of the art world by bringing art to the masses. For Joe and many other artists in the early 1970’s, it created the chance to paint full time and sell their work to an otherwise unobtainable audience. During this time of continuous self study and painting Joseph transitioned from watercolor to the newer acrylic painting medium. Believing that acrylic, as a fine art painting medium, can be as viable as oil, Orr has always promoted it as the modern medium that it is. In 1990 Joseph, along with his wife, Rita and two other artists, founded the National Oil & Acrylic Painter’s Society. The Orr’s brainchild, they were aided in founding NOAPS organization by local art patrons, Wm & Martha Mitchell and fellow artists Pete Peterson and Dennis T. Yates. While traveling with the World of Art Tour Joseph had met Rita Mathews, an aspiring artist, in Columbia, MO. They were married in June 1974 and stayed in Missouri, traveling and exhibiting their art together. Orr had a brief encounter with printmaking in 1977. He took private instruction in stone lithography and copper plate etching from Frank Stack, professor of art at the Univ of MO, Columbia, but painting remained his principal devotion. By 1999 Joseph had become proficient enough to have obtained Gallery representation with several Fine Art Galleries across the US. Joseph Orr currently resides in Osage Beach, Missouri, but travels to paint and visit his gallery representatives and Exhibit Openings. PHILOSOPHY: For me the idea is that painting should follow some form of illustration and truth telling. Basically, the premise of my painting philosophy, is to build layers of narrative into my paintings. A place or landscape scene is never defined satisfactorily without it’s relationship to color and composition. It is important to balance fact with imagination. “ART REFLECTS THE SOUL OF SOCIETY. A JUDGMENT CAN BE MADE FOR THE ATTITUDE OR CONDITION OF SOCIETY BY INSPECTING THE POPULAR ‘IDEAS’ OF ART OR, IN SOME INSTANCES, THE LACK OF ART.” (JOSEPH C. ORR) NOTED SOLO EXHIBITS : *BIRGER SANDZEN MEMORIAL, LINDSBORG, KS; *HARWELL ART MUSEUM, POPLAR BLUFF, MO; *ASHBY-HODGE GALLERY OF AMERICAN FINE ART, FAYETTE, MO; *NORFOLK ART CENTER, NORFOLK, NE; *KODNER GALLERIES...

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