Joseph Leivdal
Draftsman and Painter

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All of my work begins with the assumption that human life would not be tolerable without art. I also assume that great art, art that reveals truth, emerges from both the mastery of technique and a deep understanding of life. Each of my drawings and paintings represents a step toward my ultimate goal of creating life-scale narrative paintings.

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The greatest paintings ever made confront the tragic truth of human life. Conceptual art has failed in this regard: abstraction can never be more expressive than the human body, and critique will never overcome the power of storytelling. I am shamelessly anachronistic, being more interested in quality and intensity than originality and creativity, believing that imitating the old masters and incorporating their qualities is the best way to learn and participate in a shared and meaningful language. 

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I have studied philosophy, psychology, literature, and aesthetics at the graduate level and have written a Master's thesis on Nietzsche. My path as a painter emerged from a combination of a deep lifelong attraction and my studies in philosophy as I sought a way forward through the meaninglessness of the modern world. I regularly turn to philosophy to clarify my values and to orient my practice as a painter.

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I began pursuing my craft with self-directed study from the Charles Bargue Drawing Course, a 19th century manual for classical draftsmanship. Subsequently, I made master copies for a year under the supervision of Mandy Boursicot. I am currently studying cast and figure drawing at the Academy of Realist Art in Toronto, Canada.

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Feel free to contact me with any questions you may have.