Bio

Joseph Paul Vargas is a self-taught contemporary painter whose artistic process began as a child when he discovered an innate ability in sculpting and painting. Vargas began showing professionally as a teenager throughout the Southwest, with his natural abilities leading him to early success and strong artistic growth. As the artist's professional career came into full swing, he moved to San Francisco where he concentrated on honing his stylistic approach.

His Abstract Expressionist works explores the use of negative space, incorporating techniques such as collage and decollage. Often ethereal in subject and complex in composition, Vargas explores the notion of unfinished dreams, periodic elements, energy as we perceive and experience it, and the manifestation of imaginings. 

Decollage refers to the act of cutting, tearing, or otherwise removing the original image. Vargas literally de-constructs the work he has done to reveal the colors underneath, a process that is laborious and essential to the creation of his finished work. Consider the artist's mind as he progresses toward his vision by tearing away that which he has built up. Elements such as glass and diamond dust are woven into the deconstruction process to add dimension and articulation of the space the viewer is intended to further explore; one may discover a space within the overall composition that is a harmonious mash-up of oil paint, various types of handmade paper, intricate glass beads, diamond dust, and fabrics. From a distance the viewer would be challenged to see anything other than one cohesive large-scale painting.  The synergy of his elements is as though they were brought together by magnetic attraction, lending cohesion and visual unity.

Vargas has shown in numerous solo and group shows in California and throughout the Western U.S. His works are in many private and corporate collections.