Joe Smiley’s work explores the conceptual nature of language and writing—how meaning is constructed and transmitted through inherently arbitrary marks. Working primarily with acrylics and inks, often layered with graphite, charcoal, and crayon, he approaches each piece intuitively, allowing improvisation and chance to shape the final image.

Though abstract, the compositions evoke the appearance of text, script, and inscription. Drawing from ancient writing systems as well as contemporary visual culture—including influences such as Keith Haring and the bold, playful aesthetics of mid-century design and 1990s media—his work seeks to distill visual language to its essentials while maintaining a sense of energy and immediacy.

This body of work marks an early stage in a long-term project to construct a fictional written language. What begins as abstract mark-making gradually moves toward a system with its own internal logic, inviting viewers to recognize patterns and engage in acts of interpretation and discovery.