Josh Wald: The Art of Becoming

 

For Josh Wald, identity is not something we discover but something we create. Speaking from his Lisbon studio, the former model turned artist reflects on reinvention, creativity, and the freedom to continually reimagine who we are.

 

Featured artist Josh Wald

Photographer Isabella Glock

Stylist Joao Telmo
Assisted by Maria Ribeiro

Beauty grooming Antonia Rosa

Hair Jordan Alves

Interview and words Daniela Abranches
Editor Andrea Probosch

 

Raised in a small town on Cape Cod and after twenty-six years in New York, Josh Wald walked away from his modelling career to dedicate himself fully to art.
From his studio in Lisbon, Josh is embracing the possibility of beginning again, exploring identity not as something fixed, but as something we are free to reshape: a series of choices, masks and versions of ourselves.

Maybe life really is one big costume party, where we are free to choose the person we want to become.
If so, what is stopping us from taking the leap of courage towards the version of ourselves that feels most alive?

We spoke to Josh about reinvention, creativity, and the freedom that comes with becoming, just ahead of his latest exhibition, a show that will also mark the end of an era. Hosted in his current atelier building, soon to be redeveloped into apartments amid Lisbon’s ongoing transformation, the exhibition will support local housing advocacy group Habita Colectivo, with a portion of proceeds dedicated to addressing the city’s growing displacement crisis.

There’s nothing that can be done about the rapid growth and economic changes happening in Lisbon but how it happens can be changed. It’s the job of the government to take care of its people, if they don’t seem to- then it’s up to the people and their voice to make change.

josh wald

ZOOT: For readers meeting you now: who is Josh Wald?

Josh Wald: I’m am a medium to large scale painter/ illustrator, working between Lisbon and New York, who is focused on pushing the boundaries of pop art. 

ZOOT: Your artistic work sits between high fashion and subculture. What do you love most about elegance, and what do you love most about rebellion? And why do you feel drawn to balancing the two?

Josh Wald: Great question! I find that the two worlds sit apart from each other, yet need each other to be defined – what would one be without the other? Life’s path has threaded me right through the needle of those two worlds. I grew up skateboarding, spending my days pushing through the streets, falling on concrete, getting dirty, and eating lunch sitting on the ground of a random sidewalk. We would sit there on the ground all sweaty eating, while businessmen and women looked at us with disdain. On those days, we were more aligned with the street folk. But I also worked in high fashion as a fashion model, and worked for some of the biggest names in fashion. I traveled the world, wore very expensive clothing while working on gorgeous locations, in homes that one could only imagine.
The world from either side of the fence feels flat by itself – there is a robustness, a roundness, that comes from experiencing the world from both angles. 
The best thing about elegance is the attention to detail from a refined and particular perspective – it’s fascinating, and interesting to get to know – and the best thing about rebellion, is to throw that all away.

ZOOT: When did you start modeling and what did it represent in your life?

Josh Wald: I was 19 years old, from a small town in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in New York City for the summer. I got a job doing club promotions randomly; one thing led to another and I found myself on my fist modeling gig, in a Speedo, jumping on a trampoline on Miami beach for $40,000.00.
26 years and a lifetime later, I was still working as a model.
There’s a lot of money in that industry and it was a difficult thing to walk away from. I never really aligned with it, though; I always felt like there was something else for me. I learned a lot through it and had the means to explore. That exploration usually landed in music. I learned how to write, sing, produce, and play a bunch of instruments. I eventually accumulated a large professional music studio decked out in vintage analog gear. I did jingles for a few major companies before I decided to work on my own music, and turned out 3 solo albums under the band name Dream Louise (Spotify). It was a means to a lot of different ends. All in all, it was a gift.

ZOOT: Nearly 8 months ago, you’ve stepped away from your working life to concentrate on painting. What made you feel it was time to do so?

Josh Wald: It’s been 7 and a half months now since I officially stepped away from fashion to pursue art full time. Art, is a conversation with yourself about yourself and everything else around you in context to the culture you’re in. I didn’t feel that dialogue could be true and honest while also compromising by doing a job I wasn’t aligned with. I thought, you live once, you are born and you die and you get to do anything you want in-between. I did the compromise -make money thing for a long while. It was time to step out, take a risk and follow a dream, this one feeds the soul. I quit my job and committed not to buy anything, or cut my hair or my beard for 6 months while focusing specifically on art. I hit the 6 month mark and it just felt right to keep going- sounds like I’m on the right path.

ZOOT: During this artistic leave, why did it feel important not to buy anything, and not to cut your hair or shave your beard?

Josh Wald: It was a commitment I made to myself to make the 6 months feel very different to any other time in my life. With fashion, I always had to look, more or less the same for 26 years. To grow the hair and beard was both freedom and rebellion. As for the buying, I felt buying things was a distraction. I still buy food and toothpaste, just no vintage clothing or records or toys. It removes the, “I want”, and “I need”  from the picture – all that’s left is creation. 
It’s been quite a journey so far, 7.5 months in. Life changing. 

ZOOT: Why did you choose Lisbon for this chapter of your life? How does it feel different from NY? What does Lisbon allow you to express that New York doesn’t?

Josh Wald: I was New York bound for 26 years – that’s more than half of my life. It was time for a change. I do still have a house there and sell art there as well, but Lisbon is beautiful and calm in comparison. My girlfriend and I found the coolest art studio in Príncipe Real (down town, Lisboa) and that solidified the whole move to art. There is a lot happening here in Lisboa in the arts and it’s a supportive place to lean into the arts.

ZOOT: Your latest series of paintings – “Becoming” – observes identity as a constant shift — finding yourself, re-identifying, changing again. What part of you are you still becoming?

Josh Wald: That’s an interesting question, and leads me want to share my life understanding. Since no one really knows what this “life” thing is, or why we are here, I took a stab at it…
I see it like this: we are all part god, or spirit, that is taking a ride as a human. Our true identity is spirit in nature, and that has nothing to do with our human-made cultures and societies. But in context of culture, my belief is that we get to choose who we are. We get to choose over and over if we want, and the thing is that everyone else is choosing too. You can decide to be a new version of yourself at any moment, and change it again if you want. It’s one big costume party and everyone is in on it, whether they are conscious of it or not.
To realize this takes some pressure off. Have some fun, explore different avatars, be free, because you were never really your “avatar” in the first place, it was chosen by you and for you. So to answer your question, all of me is still “becoming”.  Becoming more free, and more playful every day, or at least I try.

ZOOT: How do you experience the path of becoming the person you really want to be : freedom, pressure, uncertainty, something else? And why do you think you experience it that way?

Josh Wald: My school headmaster used to always say, “Today is the first day of the rest of your life”. I think about that often and make new choices to start the rest of my life constantly. I think as long as the “you” you are choosing is of your own choosing – not that of friend’s, family’s, socioeconomic, or outside pressure – you find more and more freedom, and self-empowerment. 

ZOOT: In this series we see a lot of scribbles, but not only that. Can you walk us through your technique — the materials, layers, and gestures ?

Josh Wald: Overall, I really enjoy making paintings/drawings that play with preconceptions. Subject matter aside, the paintings look clean and graphic from afar. You might write them off as pop art or commercial art. But when you get closer, you’d be surprised: it’s not at all what you expected but rather a collection of loose markings, dirty charcoal, and pencil scribbles, all artisanal in nature.
I choose subjects that challenge identity.
To do that, I start with a photo or a collage of a few images I took or gathered and find my main subject. I then do an under coat of watered-down acrylic paint to help with the depth and shadows. On top of that it’s charcoal and pencil scribbles – occasionally adding foreign materials to keep the work playful. The scribble is an important and conscious choice. A scribble is a line without definite shape or direction unlike a straight line. The scribble is ambiguous and represents life’s unpredictable twists and turn that got you right here, to where you are now, the current, “self”.
I am now working on two new collections simulations, one is a new technique I recently came up with, I call them, “Wet Prints” they are collage with silk screen on wet paper. The final pieces come out crooked, messy and bleeding unlike the perfect and precise traditional silk screen. It’s a great visual metaphor on life. The other is a collection I haven’t named yet but they are medium to large scale charcoal illustrations done on canvas with words overlaid. The collection still revolves around the subject of identity, but you’ll have to wait to see them when I release them.

ZOOT: Which painting stands out the most for you? What is it about  and why does it stay with you?

Josh: I really enjoy the one titled ‘Restraint’. It’s a larger-than-life image of a man smoking. he’s cool and has a cool vibe to him. He resembles James Dean, but was based on a model. He is ironically not practicing his restraint as he flaunts his cigarette, but it is the only piece in the collection where I practiced my own restraint by not marking the piece. No charcoal, no pencil, just many, many layers or the undercoat, watered-down acrylic paint applied with a rag. The painting was done over and over again, as the watered-down paint goes on light. It was a stacking of paint many times over to get the darker areas. Because of that, there is a slight blur to the piece which starts an interesting conversation with the bold graphic nature of the subject and his position. 

ZOOT: You move across a lot of creative fields. What has each discipline taught you? 

Josh Wald: Whoa, this would take forever to answer. Each one teaches you – creation teaches you about yourself in context to culture and the society you find yourself in. Just the guitar for instance, and watching your practice habits, your willingness to explore, or your resistance. To watch yourself conform to a certain type of music, or see patterns in your playing. The willingness to share, or not, play with others? There is so much in every medium that teaches you and gives back in different ways.  

ZOOT: And what does each one allow you to express that the others can’t? 

Josh Wald: I really see myself as a creative. I even approach thought creatively. In creation there is no separation between mediums other than developing the skill, which anyone with enough time and determination can build. That being said- you can’t hang “music” on a wall, and the air doesn’t vibrate the same while “painting”. A photograph is quicker and more voyeuristic, but you can’t walk inside a photo, though I wish we could.  All mediums speak in different ways and life would be so flat if I was made to choose. I will say that picking up the guitar, or sitting at a piano and playing relaxes me the most.   

ZOOT: When you finish a piece, have you discovered how to decide what to make next? 

Josh Wald: At this point I’m 4 collections behind and get overwhelmed by the amount of creations coming my way. I’ve been trying to just be as logical as possible deciding what’s next 

ZOOT: How do you decide whether an idea should become a painting, sculpture, furniture piece, or a song? What’s the “signal” that tells you which medium is right?

Josh Wald: Since quitting my job and diving into the art, I’ve been spending my time trying to build a cohesive collection of work both in medium and concept. So for now it’s medium to large-scale paintings. The other creations are still there but for release and hobby. It’s very important to me to also create specifically for creation’s sake, with no motivation to sell, or produce. 

ZOOT: In a previous story about masks, you said we all wear them. Do you believe there’s a true self underneath — or is the self something we build through the masks we choose? And in your own life, has a mask ever helped you become more truthful, rather than less?

Josh Wald: Like I said earlier, the way I see it, the true self is a spirt of some sort – it’s spiritual in nature and is too big for this little human world. That true self is in us all and is what spirituality tries to tap into. Self in context to life in society (the human-created world) is completely chosen. If not by you, then by your socioeconomic status, family, friends, music, culture you were raised in. You can have it chosen for you, or you can make the choice on your own accord. The mask(s) have only helped me personally to find more truth by further exposing the truth that it is in fact, a mask.

ZOOT: The US is having a real fight over who gets to belong — who gets to feel safe, who gets to be visible, who gets policed. Where do you personally stand on that, and what role, if any, do you believe artists should play in moments like this?

Josh: I think as an artist you have to decide if you want to be a political artist or not. For me I like to look at things from a more macro perspective. More love brings more empathy. No matter what a government thinks it needs to do, I think it can all be done with more empathy and concern for each other, and the planet. The planet is not ours alone, it is the planet of the animals, fish, plants, and sea, and is the planet of future generations. I hope that my art helps confront the issues plaguing this world by addressing and confronting the individual on who they are, and who they want to be. Morality is a large part of human identity. I push love, and hope we can all find some more of it – to have and to give. 

ZOOT: Europe feels like it’s heating up politically and we’re seeing a rightward shift. Since living in Lisbon, have you sensed a change in people’s mood — more fear, more caution, more anxiety? 

Josh Wald: It’s interesting being in Lisbon: it is a melting pot of many cultures, for better or for worse. The melting pot is adding to the globalization here and displacing the local Portuguese—it’s a big issue that the government is trying to figure out. The melting pot is also bringing global ideas and thoughts about the world, from around the world, on economics, politics, and moral standpoints. I have to believe that the seemingly inevitable mixing of cultures will lead to more understanding, empathy, and love.

ZOOT: As extreme weather intensifies globally — from storms in Portugal, Spain, and Morocco to wildfires in Los Angeles, monsoons and cyclones across Asia, flooding in Southeastern Africa, and the groundwater crisis in India — how do you respond to the Trump administration’s decision to revoke the 2009 Endangerment Finding, the landmark EPA ruling that recognised greenhouse gases as a threat to public health and welfare?

Josh Wald: This one hits deep. I am in love with this planet and in love with nature. It pains me deep to my soul to see or hear about any action other than trying to protect the planet. How dare anyone make a decision about exploiting and desecrating the planet for their company’s monetary gain. They should be ashamed of themselves. This planet does not belong to them, it belongs to all of us, and all of us for generations to come, plants, animals and humans all. The only thing on the table should be how to save and protect our beautiful home. This one makes me so upset.

ZOOT: With AI reshaping creativity so fast, do you see it as a tool you’d explore — or does it push you more toward tactile, traditional practices, even something like Portuguese tiles ?

Josh Wald: We can not stop the growth. I see it a change that is coming one way or another. If anything, it highlights just how precious tactile and traditional practices are, and will be. I like the exploration, it fascinates me, and what does it say about existence, or the purpose of a human life? Are we close to figuring out what this thing we call life and consciousness is? Will it all push us back to our roots? A hybrid? Either way, I’m along for the ride and like to dig my hands into the megabits and the soil. 

For anyone trying to become a different version of themselves, and for the next generation of artists, what advice would you give?

Josh Wald: I’d say: life is one big costume party and everyone at the party is dressed up. At the core, we are all one, but in this life you get to choose your avatar. Find one you enjoy being, and if you don’t, choose another. You are allowed to change. In fact, people seem to respect that journey—the journey of picking an avatar (“finding yourself”). The freedom is in knowing that you are not your avatar; you are a spirit; you’re just playing dress up like everyone else, and it’s a party—so let’s have some fun! 

Thank you Josh!

 

 

FASHION REFERENCES

BESTA DE ESTILO ARCHIVE @archivebestadeestilo
For
@bestadeestilo
@kangol

 

BIRDSONG @birdsong_pr
For
@hackettlondon
@pepejeans

 

COMPANHIA DAS SOLUÇÕES @companhiasolucoes
For
@guess
Gucci Eyewear @gucci

GANESH COMUNICAÇÃO@ganesh_comunicacao
For
@ugg

 

OFICINA MUSTRA @oficinamustra

SHOWPRESS @showpress.pressoffice
For
Eyewear @dolcegabbana
@m.alves.goncalves
@gant
@lacoste
@levis
@luiscarvalhoofficial
@_mariana_garcia0
Eyewear @prada


JOSH´s own
@blundstone
@burberry
@rundholzofficial
@thepigeonparty

To boot…

 

JOSH WALD, artist and model
@thepigeonparty I www.joshwaldmodel.com
“Dream Louise”, Josh Wald on Spotify 

Agency
www.soulartistmanagement.com
www.wearemodels.pt

LIVING NOTEBOOK Exhibition
June, 24th from. 17h-21h (5-9) 

Josh Wald will be introducing his  ‘Wet Print’ collection.
A new medium that explores silkscreen collage on wet paper. 

The exhibition will be curated by Izabella Bray and hosted in his current atelier building, soon to be redeveloped into apartments amid Lisbon’s ongoing transformation. It will support local housing advocacy group Habita Colectivo, with a portion of proceeds dedicated to addressing the city’s growing displacement crisis.

Location 
Lisbon, Rua da Alegria 126. Top floor.

Curator
@izabellabray_

Nonprofit organisation
@habita.colectivo