ON THE PAGE
Portland-based artist Joe John Sanchez III (they/them) creates work composed of swirling handwritten text, miniature pictures, and repeating patterns that appear as texture from afar. Primarily working in ink pen, the majority of their pieces are rooted in horror vacui—an extreme discomfort with empty space.
Born in New Jersey, Sanchez developed a passion for art through Saturday morning cartoons, newspaper comic strips, and superhero trading cards. They were an especially enthusiastic art student and went on to study printmaking at Wesleyan University.
Upon graduating, Sanchez kicked off a decade-long marketing career, but they never fully abandoned art. From New York City to the Boston suburbs, they occupied their commutes by creating intricate newspaper collages and playful ballpoint pen illustrations.
In 2017, Sanchez relocated to the West Coast. Through a process of experimentation, they adapted and refined their previous technique to develop their current style of meticulous, handwritten word art. They first displayed this work in the Capitol Hill Art Walk, moving on to participate in group exhibitions at The Confluence, Make.Shift Art Space, MIVAL Gallery, and the Port Angeles Fine Arts Center.
Inspired by a 2020 visit to NYC—in which they nearly broke down crying in front of Keith Haring’s “Untitled” at MoMA—Sanchez began to introduce a pictorial element into their pieces. Driven by Haring’s philosophy that “the public needs art”, they aim to make their work accessible for all income levels, proudly and openly toeing the line between low-brow and high-brow art.
WHERE TO FIND their WORK
A portrait of the artist as a not-that-young man. (Photo credit: Eric J. Seymour)