Four Paintings by Joseph Radoccia
Joseph Radoccia is a painter, whose body of works have explored his interest in various forms of intimacy. Born in the small town of Hornell, NY, Radoccia was artistically inclined since childhood and was always excited by the prospect of drawing He went on to hone his artistic ability, receiving his BFA in Graphic Design from Buffalo State in 1982 and his MFA in Painting from the University at Buffalo in 1985. In that year, Radoccia was featured in a group exhibition at the Albright Knox Art Gallery. Future exhibitions soon followed at Hallwalls and the Burchfield Penney Art Center
Deciding to pursue a professional career as a painter, Radoccia moved to Brooklyn, NY in the late 1980s. Surrounded by the devastating effects of the AIDS epidemic, particularly to the LGBTQ community, Radoccia began to express his feelings, through his paintings and sculptures, on the raising levels of fear and prejudice he was witnessing and to make a statement on the importance of public awareness.
Despite the success of this work within the art community, Radoccia felt it was starting to negatively impact him and perpetuate the negative tropes that already existed surrounding AIDS. He returned to his original love of painting, and began to explore themes of identity, love, fear and sexual expression. Many of these artistic explorations mirrored Radoccia’s own exploration into himself and his identity. He began exhibiting with the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art, and some of his works remain in the gallery’s permanent collection.
Radoccia longed to make a home that mimicked the peace and serenity that he experienced on trips to Madagascar. In 2011 he moved to Beacon, NY, in the heart of Hudson Valley where he currently resides. He has now concentrated on portrait works, continuing to explore the themes of intimacy that has prevaded his entire body of work.
Images of Joseph Radoccia’s work and contact information can be found at the artist’s site located at: https://www.joeradoccia.com