You may be familiar with 2 paintings by Hunters Point Artist Michael Joyce which were displayed this past year in My Little Cafe (formerly Chef¹s Corner) on Vernon Boulevard. Part of an architectural series which focuses on Hunters Point, one shows the neighborhood from the river, with the gantries and the old power plant smokestacks dominating the neighborhood. The second portrays an angel stepping off the curb onto 48th Avenue, with the old railroad cut and St. Mary¹s Church in the background.
While Mr. Joyce¹s past themes tend toward cityscapes, using architectural forms to give order to his compositions, his current passion has become painting folding screens with neoclassical scenes of architectural ruins. The folding screen format plays with our spatial perception, intensifying the illusion of depth. Whatever the time period he portrays, his work can evoke dream-like states of mystery and calm.
Joyce took painting classes at the School of Visual Arts, but considers himself primarily self-taught. Born in New York, he has lived in Hunters Point since 1976. ³I lived in a loft in Manhattan on 17th Street and found that it was like living in a cave. I like the sense of space here in Long Island City, and being one stop from Manhattan makes for a very convenient commute.² When asked about the community, Joyce laughed, ³It¹s funny‹I always try to move, but when I go some place on vacation, I find that this (Hunters Point) is probably the most suitable environment for me.²
Joyce believes that while the neighborhood supports an international art center (P.S. 1), there is little here for local artists. ³It would be great if artists organized,² and he considers refurbishing unused commercial buildings, for artist housing and work space, a viable solution. He suggests that this arrangement could be affordable to artists, eliminating any need for outside support.
Doubtful that the waterfront development project would improve the area, Joyce says ³traffic congestion would be the number one problem. Bridges and tunnels are already so overcrowded, and the existing infrastructure is falling apart. It seems like things are being done backwards.²
Joyce looks forward to a quiet summer painting in his studio at home.
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