Mextures Artist Feature | @JosephAsbury

Hello and welcome to the another Mextures artist feature! Today’s article features Instagram user and artist @JosephAsbury and his fabulous street/city style work. He’s got some pretty awesome nature and rural shots in his gallery, but I was particularly drawn to his fabulous street and city shots and the feel he gives to those shots with Mextures. I hope you’ll enjoy getting to know @JosephAsbury via our chat, and enjoy his art as much as all of those who follow his work do. As always, thank you for visiting and supporting these features, artists, and blogs!

Getting to Know @JosephAsbury

Hello, @JosephAsbury! To start, could you tell us who you are?

I am Joseph Asbury, @JosephAsbury on Instagram. I am from Columbus, OH, born and raised. Married with two kids, I grew up with a typical family life – grandson of a preacher and son of a salesman. My father would tell you I’m a momma’s boy. Haha!

That reminds me of my own upbringing, except I was a Daddy’s girl. How did you get started with Instagram and Mextures?

I actually got involved with Instagram because my wife was on it and she kept telling me it was fun. I got involved with Mextures after reading an article about Tony Detroit. In the article, he referenced liking to work with Mextures so I looked them up. It was a game changer for me.

Word of mouth is how I learned of Mextures, too! So, you signed on to Instagram and your art has clearly been well received. What is it about Instagram that keeps you active and sharing your art there?

It is mainly because of my love for photography but at the same time, photography pushes me towards Instagram. It’s funny because I always enjoyed looking at photos but my life for taking photos didn’t come until after being on Instagram. Plus, the community feel within certain circles of Instagram is awesome.

Instagram and art both play a huge role in my life. Art has always been around in some form or another, and growing up the big one for me was always music. My family rarely did anything without a soundtrack, everything from gospel to classic rock. My wife and I try to keep that tradition alive with our kids. Art and Instagram also has a big role in our life – my wife and I love to go take pictures together. She runs a page called @churchesofcolumbus so we go out searching churches quite often and I just take pictures of whatever is around. My wife has always loved photography, she will deny. But she has a much better eye than I do. Her talent seems to have been passed down to my daughter, which is awesome.

We have so much in common – church, music and art are the three building blocks of my youth. Haha! You mentioned that you started taking photos after your wife got you onto Instagram. How has your technique or practice changed over time?

Over time, the main thing that has changed has been the idea to go out looking for pictures as opposed to waiting to happen on a picture. That has been fun, and this notion has also afforded me the opportunity to meet some really cool artists.

That is a very cool concept – looking for the picture as opposed to waiting for one to happen. I like that. What arts do you identify with the most?

Photography and music.

What work do you most enjoy?

Editing, for sure. I love taking pictures but I could edit forever. Hence my love for Mextures.

What themes do you pursue in your work?

Soul. I try to find the soul of the picture, whether it’s a person, building, or car (my three crutches). I try to capture how they feel.

I think you are very successful at that. In fact, that is why I selected the image that was used as the Featured Image for this post (the thumbnail beside it in the link list and the header image for the post). The story behind the image, as you shared on your Instagram post of it, is so powerful. Definitely my personal favorite. What is your favorite artwork?

Photography on Instagram – I feel like it’s one giant piece of art that is constantly changing. Everybody adds a little.

Absolutely. It’s almost this organic thing that happens, and it grows itself as an art community but it also grows us as individuals. That’s been my experience, as well. Why do you think that is? Why art?

I feel like it’s inside of us to be creative. I’m a Christian and looking at things with that world view I believe God created us in his image and because of that we have a desire to create.

What do you dislike about your work?

I’m constantly second guessing pictures. I’ve been known to post a picture and delete it shortly after.

I think many of us do that – I certainly do. What is your favorite subject?

People, for sure.

What memorable responses have you had to your work?

I think the most memorable was a time when my buddy Micahel (@noonerblast) said in passing, “you’ve got your own style.” That was pretty cool.

One last question – what couldn’t you do without regarding your art?

Mextures and Lightroom app.

Of course! Thank you so much for taking the time to chat and for being involved in the Mextures Artist project at Catacosmic. Wishing you abundance and many good things in your art and in your life, Joseph!

Thank you, it was a pleasure.