“Hunter S. Thompson” by Joshua Blankinship

“Hunter S. Thompson was great at conveying the absurdities of life and thrived living in his uniquely unconventional way. He was a human that stood strongly for the ideals he believed in and found effective, entertaining ways to criticize those he stood against. He was a humanitarian that simultaneously believed in enjoyment of one's self. He was a paradox in the best way and his writings mean a lot to me.” -Joshua Blankinship

ARTIST STATEMENT

Joshua Blankinship is a visual artist and mental health advocate from Medina, TN. He’s a member of the American Impressionist Society. His art hangs in the homes of notable clients that include the State of Tennessee Governor's Mansion, NBA Superstar Ja Morant, the estate of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee Carl Perkins, NFL All-Pro Derrick Henry, Hip Hop Legend Project Pat, NBA All-Star Brandon Ingram, and more. His work has also been purchased for use in various media by Netflix, Paramount +, ESPN, Showtime, the cover art for the re-release of James Cherry's acclaimed novel "Edge of the Wind", and used in various other print and visual media. His notable awards include a 7 month artist residency in Kinston, NC, several mental health and/or art conference keynote speaking appearances, "Best of Show" and "Fan Favorite" awards for Leonid Afremov's "Art for Peace" contest, and features in multiple solo and group exhibitions within the Southeastern United States. Outside of his work co-founding two art advancement collectives, "The Madison Muse Society" and "Artists on Main--Medina, TN", his latest achievement was being featured in a group exhibition at the distinguished “Frist Art Museum” in downtown Nashville, TN.