Joel Brock

Utilizing pastel, charcoal, graphite, acrylic, and gesso, Joel Brock (1961- 2013) created light-filled compositions based upon observations of architecture, still life, and the landscape. Inspired by local gems such as the Samish River Valley, Brock focused on horizontal expanses that emphasize tranquility and soft haze. His architectural scenes often feature the vacant homes of farm workers highlighting the sculptural qualities and emptiness of these uninhabited spaces. Brock’s still life works fuse natural and interior spaces with a minimalist tendency. Important to him were the possibilities a given subject affords to play with light, shape, and form. His tendency toward abstraction is evident in his compositions with strong geometry and gestural mark making.

Brock attended the University of California, Davis, where he studied with internationally renowned painter and printmaker Wayne Thiebaud. Brock was included in “The Painted View” at the Museum of Northwest Art in 2006. Represented by the Lisa Harris Gallery, now Harris Harvey Gallery, since 1993, Brock’s works may also be found in such collections as PACCAR Corporation, Commerce Bank Morubeni Corporation, Tokyo, University of Washington Medical Center, Swedish Medical Center, City of Lynwood, and Pepsico, Houston.