Motivated by the banality of private and public settings and the blunt playfulness from a child's standpoint, Joseph Gerard Sabatino seeks to further explore the dialogue between the two contrasting worlds. Greatly influenced from his experience studying photography in Florence Italy over twelve years ago, Mr. Sabatino realized that it was necessary to further take notice of the once awkward foreign customs that surrounded his upbringing; linking the visual, physical and emotional connections found within my art today. Location, place and space are all subjects related to his inspiration and through his encounter in Italy, Joseph became infused in continuing to capture the commonplace, documenting civilization’s neglected quarters.

Mr. Sabatino’s exhibition and residency history includes involvement with institutions both local and abroad. He has been awarded full fellowships to Jentel’s Residency Program - Banner, Wyoming, The Vermont Studio Center - Johnson, Vermont and The Long Beach Island Foundation for the Arts and Sciences in Loveladies, NJ. Joseph was also awarded a blacksmithing residency during the spring of 2008 at Peter Valley’s Center, Layton, NJ where the initial work on “Untitled Fig Trees, I-V” were created. Both New Jersey residencies mentioned above were funded in part by the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation & the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.

Mr. Sabatino participated in Aljira’s Emerge Artist Fellowship Program in Newark, NJ which included an exhibition curated by Lilly Wei, as well as her contributing essays within the catalog. He has exhibited in Northern Kentucky University’s historical “Inaugural Biennial Underground Railroad Exhibition” including a full hard cover, color catalog. Internationally, Joseph has featured work in “La Galleria Via Larga” in Florence, Italy as well as the WIFI Gastehaus in Graz Austria. He was awarded the Menzione d'Onore award, "Italy for a Young Artist" in sculpture which was issued by Poalo Toschi - Consolato d'Italia, NY. Mr. Sabatino has also had the honor to be one of ten national artists selected by Mary Ceruti of Sculpture Center, Long Island City, NY for Miami University’s “National Young Sculptors Competition”. The exhibition was held at Hiestand Galleries in Oxford, OH for the William and Dorothy Yeck Award. Furthermore, Joseph was selected to participate in three consecutive New Jersey Arts Annual. In 2006, “SPRAWL” was hosted and exhibited at the Jersey City Museum and the following at the Noyes Museum in 2007. Additionally, Mr. Sabatino took part in the 2006 New Jersey Fine Arts Annual which was held for the first time outdoors in the renowned Alice Ransom Dreyfuss Memorial Garden at The Newark Museum. Recent artistic endeavors include participation in “Bittersweet, the Chocolate Show” at Paul Robeson Galleries at Rutger’s University in Newark, NJ. The exhibition and catalog included the works of; Vik Muniz, Donald Baechler, Robert Watts and Stefano Cagol. Joseph’s cement and tar filled mini cupcakes titled “Trick or Treat” were seen for the first time in it’s gridded twenty-five piece formation. Lastly, Mr. Sabatino was selected to be one of five NJ artists to participate in Kean Universities' 2012 exhibition titled, “The Garden Statement,” also featuring a stipend and full exhibition catalog of participating artists.