Visceral Desires (Opening Reception Recap)
Well, the opening reception of my solo show, Visceral Desires, at KORE Gallery has officially come and gone. After months of planning, painting, framing, organizing, and wondering how everything would come together, it was incredibly rewarding to finally see the exhibition on the walls and the room filled with people. I honestly couldn't have asked for a better turnout. Seeing friends, family, collectors, fellow artists, and so many new faces spending time with the work made all of the effort worthwhile.
This exhibition featured several bodies of work beyond the figurative paintings I’m primarily known for, including new abstract pieces, selections from my Cultural Sediments collage series, and a handful of original drawings. One of the challenges of putting together a show like this is that gallery walls can only hold so much. While I had more work available than the space could accommodate, I didn't want those pieces to be left unseen. So I created a microsite to extend the exhibition online and showcase the remaining works that couldn't fit into the physical gallery.
Looking back, the night exceeded my expectations. I want to say thank you to everyone who came out, took the time to engage with the work, shared conversations, offered encouragement, and supported the exhibition. Whether you're a longtime collector or someone seeing my work for the very first time, your support means more than I can adequately express.
Thankfully, a few friends were able to capture photos and video of just some of the evening so that I can share part of the night to those who were unable to attend. Here are a few highlights from an unforgettable evening:
“Visceral Desires encompasses works that showcase my instinctual art style alongside the raw, projected subject matter of the male form. As a gay man, I explore masculinity through desire, intimacy, and emotional complexity, expressed through fragmented representations of the male body shaped by psychological tension and social exchange. Drawing on deconstructed visual languages associated with Pablo Picasso and George Condo, as well as the immediacy of street art, I construct figures through loose, gestural mark-making and assertive line work, compressed within vivid, densely textured fields of color. Each work carries its own narrative, driven by emotional intensity and a sense of unresolved tension.
Complementing the figurative works, my Cultural Sediments series expands these themes through material exploration and historical reference. In this new body of work, I repurpose vintage gay adult magazine imagery, layering it onto painted canvases that mimic the weathered surfaces of urban walls. Through tearing, sanding, and staining, the figures appear partially eroded—like posters exposed to time, environment, and repeated removal. By transforming once-private images of desire into public, decaying remnants, the work reflects the accumulation and erosion of cultural memory, particularly the shifting ideals of masculinity within the gay community and the lingering nostalgia tied to earlier visions of the idealized male body.
While the exhibition is grounded in figurative imagery, a selection of abstract works further expands my exploration of instinct and emotional response. Although these pieces do not directly confront masculinity through the body, they are created through a similar process of intuitive reaction to the canvas. I rely on visceral mark-making while also embracing time as an essential component of the work, layering countless washes of paint and manipulating the surface as it dries. Through this prolonged engagement, color, texture, and gesture emerge through physical interaction with the canvas. While absent from the figure, the palette and physical approach remain informed by a masculine sensibility—expressed through earth tones, rusted hues, and mineral-based colors drawn from industrial landscapes and natural elements. The resulting compositions reflect an emotional language rooted in atmosphere, memory, and physical sensation.
Collectively, the works in Visceral Desires examine masculinity, the built environment, and abstract form as interconnected sites of emotion and memory. Through fragmentation, layering, and expressive gestures, I explore how desire, identity, and experience leave lasting impressions on both surface and psyche. The exhibition ultimately invites viewers to confront the rawness of instinct, reconsider ideals of masculinity, and recognize beauty not only in control and perfection, but in tension, erosion, and transformation.”
The exhibition will remain on view at KORE Gallery until July 5th, 2026.
Location: 942 E Kentucky St., Louisville KY, 40204
Hours of Operation: Thur-Sat 11am-6pm, Sun 12pm-4pm
Inquiries:koregallery@gmail.com or 502-333-4355
Joshua Jenkins in his home studio.
The exhibition Visceral Desires hanging up at KORE Gallery (Louisville, KY) in June 2026.
I’m not a fan of quiet, stagnate gallery openings so I also curated a playlist for the night of the opening reception. Being pride month and the general theme of my work I thought some upbeat music would fit nicely along side my work. You can now listen to the official opening night playlist on Spotify!