Born Birrell Josef Mendelson on July 30th, 1944 in Toronto, Canada, Mr. Joe is a great Canadian original who has established himself as a consummate multi-media artist.
A self-taught guitarist since age eleven, Mr. Joe’s musical career spans four decades; he is a prolific songwriter and a recognized guitar master.
In 1975, Mr. Joe rescued some derelict paints from the garbage, and tried painting just to see what it was like. A distinct style soon evolved. Today, Mendelson Joe’s painting’s are internationally recognized as outstanding, unique, examples of contemporary Canadian art.
His work is housed at the Art Bank (a government-owned art collection), and in numerous private and corporate collections worldwide.
In March 2000 Mendelson Joe realized his longtime dream and exited the city of Toronto. He now resides in a log cabin surrounded by forest in the Almaguin Highlands.
Art Critic Gary Michael Dault writes:
Joe does all the time, every day, what artists have now largely forgotten to do: paint what he sees, what he feels, what he thinks. He also paints what he loves and paints what he hates. For me, M. Joe is a one-man passion-play, a powerful and often disturbingly decisive delineator of the human condition.
Joe is passionate about: Bear with Us and Artist’s Against Racism.
