Baltimore’s harbor is calm, but resident artist Joan Cox is gathering momentum. Since her last appearance with NOT REAL ART, she’s been named a finalist for the Baker Artist Award, recognized among London’s Top 100 International Artists, and seen her intimate portraits circulate through exhibitions and publications. A past NOT REAL ART grant winner (2022), Joan is known for capturing the “energy field” of love between women. Now, her work takes center stage in NOT REAL ART’s Modern Love exhibition, running online at notrealart.com this spring.

In conversation with host Scott “Sourdough” Power, Joan reflects on the work of recording contemporary queer intimacy. She describes her process, from asking strangers to sit for her, to searching for the subtle charge that passes between couples, all while managing the demands of a full-time career and raising a middle-schooler.

Her canvases are lush and unscripted, dense with narrative detail—bedroom Buddhas, floral wallpaper in the corner of a bar. Beneath the surface, each painting offers an act of correction, adding a page to art history where overlooked couples are seen, valued, and, at last, collected.

Where to Connect & Experience

See Joan Cox’s latest work in Modern Love.

Follow Joan on Instagram for in-progress shots and behind-the-scenes studio news.

Learn more about the NOT REAL ART Grant.

Episode Credits

Host: Scott ‘Sourdough’ Power

Guest: Joan Cox, Baltimore-based painter focused on queer intimacy, identity, and representation; NOT REAL ART grant winner.

Production: Crewest Studio, Los Angeles

Theme Music: Ricky Peugeot & Desi DeLauro of Parlor Social

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