Joe DeCamillis

"Old books and other discards give direct physical connections to the subject matter I study in my work, especially considering the way I discover them in my travels and wanderings. I still love the treasure hunt -- the quest for interesting things on the side of the road or discarded along a footpath -- be it concrete sidewalk, dirt trail, or the strewn banks of a body of water. I also seek in flea markets, junk shops, and thrift stores, but my favorite hunts happen roadside.
Weathered artifacts give me a tangible link to my past experiences, my heritage, and the roads we've come down as a society. Perhaps we feel the pull to touch things in museums because the physical sensation of touch helps us to better experience our own connection to the relics of our culture and our history. It links us to our place in whatever part of the world the museum has captured. I know that working with found objects enhances my ability to create this personal connection during the creative process in ways that just painting or sketching onto a flat plane cannot." - Joe DeCamillis

To see more of his work go to his website.