Working across a range of media, San Antonio-based artist Joey Fauerso engages with themes of domesticity, the body, identity, and gender. In Wait for It, Fauerso considers these ideas in relation to notions of time and waiting, bringing together a wide variety of historical and cultural references as well as her own lived experiences in her works. The exhibition invites viewers to contemplate these concepts alongside the many emotions they might bring forth as they relate to their own lives—particularly in the wake of this long period of isolation, distance, and longing.
Join us as we look closer and explore themes of waiting and time in the work of Joey Fauerso.
Take a look at these four paintings. What emotions do these images evoke? What memories do they bring to your mind? How do you think each work relates to the concepts of time and waiting?
Consider the frames. How are they different from frames you typically see? How do they alter your experience of the paintings? What effects do they have on the way you see or interpret these images?
Take a look at the background of this painting, The Quarry (the background is the part of a composition that is farthest away).
Notice the foreground (the part of the composition that is closest to you) is in sharper focus than the background. What effect does the blurred background create for the work? How are the foreground and background working together in this image?
Let's take a look at the artist's process.
With this method in mind, let's take a look at these two works.
Continue to consider the idea of framing and the notion of time as we take a look at The Waiting Room.
Fauerso, a breast cancer survivor, often recalls moments she went through and emotions she experienced while battling the disease. One frequent experience she reflects on is the time she spent in hospital waiting rooms.
This artwork showcases Fauerso's ideal waiting room. Pictures of memories, reproductions of works by favorite artists and historical references she enjoys, and images of utopia adorn the wall of her waiting room.
What would your ideal waiting room look like? What images, objects, pets, and more would you want to include in your space? What memories would you want to showcase?
We hope that you enjoyed taking a moment to slow down and spend time with these works by Joey Fauerso. You can learn more about the artist and the Visual Arts Center at the links below.
Joey Fauerso: Wait for It, installation view, Visual Arts Center, The University of Texas at Austin, September 24 – December 3, 2021. Photo: Sandy Carson.