Joshua Patterson brings solo show 'Art & Justus: Dreamin’ in Color' to Lapis Room

When it comes to art, Joshua Patterson knows no boundaries.

As he spent months creating new pieces for his solo show at Lapis Room, the Albuquerque-based artist knew he couldn’t play it safe.

“I like to go big,” Patterson says. “What people don’t realize about artists is that everything takes time. There’s a process to everything we do. Yes, we enjoy being in a studio, but that pales in comparison to the time it takes to get everything lined up.”

Patterson’s solo show, “Art & Justus: Dreamin’ in Color,” runs through Sept. 14 at Lapis Room in Old Town.

Patterson works entirely in spray paint, hand-cut stencils and neon glass — and this show focuses on his protagonists, Art and Justus.

Within the big concepts, Patterson says he’s able to play with the relationship between the two and explore complicated ideas with humor and pathos.

He says the body of work is about specific autobiographical stories in his life.

Throughout the show, Art and Justus (“Justus” is a blended concept combining “Justice” + “Us”) serve as heroes in Patterson’s sprawling visual narratives.

“As a Chicano artist, born and raised in Albuquerque on the West Side of the city, I believe art should be thought-provoking and challenge the viewer to grasp the idea of what’s taking place whether that be something that invokes culture, community or the state of where I am as a man finding himself daily,” Patterson says.

With this show, Patterson wanted to be himself unapologetically.

“I’ve always wanted to bring MoMa (The Museum of Modern Art) to New Mexico,” he says. “There is so much contemporary and modern art out there. I want to be able to push down that wall for a new generation and prove that we can keep it traditional and honor our legacy and past. That’s already been built. We can honor it and push it forward respectfully.”

For the nearly one dozen pieces, Patterson stuck to a six-color palette, as well as creating some grayscale paintings.

“I’ve never done that,” he says of going the grayscale route. “This was one way I could break my own boundaries.”

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Josh Patterson show without some neon pieces.

This is where he lets the world of science and art live harmoniously.

“The whole point of neon is that it’s a science,” he explains. “There’s a gas inside the tube that lights up and it’s a different color. It has to be shaped and molded. I wanted to invite neon into this collection because it’s a throwback. Today, we see neon replaced by LED signs. I wanted to show how complexities can be beautiful.”

Laura Houghton, Lapis Room founder and creative director, says Patterson stood out as an artist who’s not afraid to tell stories rooted in culture, identity and transformation.

“Working at an impressive scale, his style is immediately recognizable and his point of view is undeniably Albuquerque,” Houghton says. “The show speaks to Josh’s personal experience growing up here. He references the Petroglyph National Monument, his childhood spent at Tingley Beach for fishing and birthdays, and pilgrimage to the Santuario church in Chimayó. The work honors culturally significant, quintessentially New Mexican details and is ultimately a love letter to a place we all deeply connect with.”

Patterson has been on a journey within art for years. As he’s grown older, his aesthetic has changed.

In Oct. 2022, a seizure led to him breaking his back in his backyard — he was ultimately diagnosed with epilepsy.

“I had this new thing to learn in life,” he says of his diagnosis.

It didn’t stop him and he pivoted yet again.

“The accident led me to sell my computer and I got out my sketchbook again,” he says. “Albuquerque is my home and we are fighters. Coming from the hood, I want to show people that we can do anything. I hope that my art finds common ground that will inspire and keep up the hope for others.”

Joshua Patterson brings solo show 'Art & Justus: Dreamin’ in Color' to Lapis Room