We are excited to share a first look at new oil pastel on paper drawings by Seattle artist Joe Rudko. Known for his photography collage works, this new series is a departure, yet clearly demonstrates his love of line, layers, and how colors inform each other. This series will be on view next month at the Seattle Art Fair.

I make pastel drawings under the glow of an artificial sunlamp. The light helps regulate my rhythms, and the act of drawing returns me to myself. A line might be a person, a feeling, a mood, or a misunderstanding. Parts of myself, in quiet conflict, coming from a place I can’t always name. Sometimes, I’m surprised by what the drawings become. Sometimes, I love them.

(Joe Rudko)

Joe Rudko lives and works in Seattle. He received his BFA in Photography and Drawing from Western Washington University in 2013. His work is in the permanent collection of The Getty Museum, Portland Art Museum, Tacoma Art Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts Houston and most recently in the Morgan Library & Museum in New York.