WATCH // EXPLORE // CRAVE
An Art Walk Wonder Visit with artist Josh Price at this month’s downtown Ocala First Friday Art Walk.
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f you haven’t been to the First Friday Art Walk, which makes its way to downtown Ocala on the first Friday of the month September through May, you’re completely missing out. Showcasing local artists and their work throughout the downtown streets, the event also features live entertainment, make-andtake art projects for the kiddos and extended shopping hours at businesses. One such artist you can find at the event is Josh Price, who through his business, Contrived Curiosities, crafts sculptures made of scrap metal. Josh got his start in the art world in 2011 thanks to his wife, Tiffany, who signed him up for a local art show—without telling him. “I was terrified,” he says. “But we set up, sold many pieces and I even won an award. After that, I dipped my toes in slowly, did a few shows each year up until 2017.” After a life-changing job elimination, the couple cut ties with the 9-to-5 world and began showcasing their art up and down the East Coast. Eventually Josh taught Tiffany to weld and use the shop tools and now she creates right alongside him. 8
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So how did Josh come to create art from scrap metal? It all started at age 13. “I found a scrap metal Don Quixote sculpture at a yard sale,” he says. “I told my mom that I wanted to make stuff like that. As a young adult I started working at a body shop, where I picked up the basics of welding. As I have always worked with metal, it was easy to bring home bits of scrap from jobs and stuff I found on the side of the road.” When searching for materials, Josh and Tiffany usually look for shape versus object or type of material, and for Josh the search for materials is almost as fun as creating the sculptures. “We call it treasure hunting. We go to thrift stores, hit up garage sales, flea markets, junk yards, scrap yard sales and, yes, even dumpsters. You may even see us doing a slow drive by on trash day—we are those people.” Most of Josh’s sculptures are animals, whether true to life or mythical. He gets his inspiration from visiting zoos, state and national parks, and through hiking, kayaking and camping. “It sounds so cliché, but the simple truth is that I am inspired by nature and the world around,” he says. “I have been creating animals for over 10 years, but just recently during the pandemic, I challenged myself to
go outside my comfort zone and create large landscape pieces.” Beyond Ocala’s First Friday Art Walk and other regional art festivals, Josh and Tiffany’s work can be purchased from their Etsy shop. You can also check out their show schedule on their website. The couple will be at the March and May First Friday Art Walks. “We discovered First Friday Art Walk a few years ago as we went out to dinner downtown with some friends,” Josh says. “Friday night art walks are happening all over the country. These are vital to our communities, as they encourage people to celebrate the arts and explore with real artists living in their own communities.” Josh hopes his whimsical pieces spread joy and make people smile. “I find it interesting and enjoyable to create art from pieces that were clearly not intended to be art. I take trash, junk and scrap and puzzle it into a piece. When people see it, they say, ‘Oh that Angler Fish is amazing. Oh my gosh, is that a spatula in there?’ And I laugh and laugh, and the conversation about art and process begins. I tell them ‘Welcome to my mind.’”
Contrived Curiosities // contrivedcuriosities.com // etsy.com/shop/ ContrivedCuriosities
Photos by Kolin Toney @specialKolin specialkolin.com
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