The Open Call Podcast hosted by Laura Tanner and Anne Stagg, features conversations with contemporary artists about their work.
In this episode of The Open Call Podcast, we talked with Joelle Dietrick. Joelle is a multi-disciplinary artist who works in digital and physical realms, creating conceptual artworks that thematically champion the individual in the face of large economic systems, and inevitably, those system failures. Joelle's studio practice is steeped in research, reacting to current social and political events. Her work is often characterized by warped architectural elements, large scale shifts and bright color. In her work, she calls into question the relationship between person, place, and the concealed global systems that govern our everyday lives.
In addition to her independent studio practice, Joelle also collaborates with her husband, Owen Mundy, who is an artist and coder. Together with Joelle’s background in painting, illustration, and design, they pool their skill sets to expand their approach to subjects and create interactive artworks that extend into the public sphere. There is often an educational component to their collaborative work, exposing surveillance capitalism and digital trackers, and reminding us to balance our virtual interactions with those in the material world. Their collaborative works often break free from the gallery and engage the viewer through more accessible platforms like public spaces, websites, and our cell phones: bringing awareness of the symbiotic relationship between all of these spaces. Joelle is on the faculty at Davidson in North Carolina School.
New podcast episodes are released bi-weekly on Thursdays. In addition to the podcast, we keep an active Instagram where we share images of the artwork that we talk about. Discover our Instagram @the_open_call_podcast.
Special thanks to Susan Cooper for voicing our Outro, Scott Stagg for composing our music, and to our wonderful research assistants: Erin Miller and Alyssia Price who help with web and social media design.