Born and raised in Florida, Joel studied art, architecture, and design in New York and Europe before earning a PhD in Media and Cultural Studies.  As part of these studies, he interned in carpentry, architecture, and urban planning.

Joel defected from academia in 1997 to return to designing and making things as a renovation carpenter in the California Bay Area.  Over time, his carpentry shifted towards fine woodworking, and he made his first audio turntable, and founded his company Audiowood in 2008.

Joel’s work has been featured in art, design and audio exhibitions across the US.  And he was named a "Person to Watch" and a "Tech Designer to Watch" by New Orleans Magazine and Apartment Therapy, respectively.

Audiowood designs have also won numerous awards at art shows and craft fairs, including "Most Unique Work" at New Orleans' Jazz Fest in 2015 and 2018, and they are featured in dozens of major international publications including The New York Times, California Home and Design, Inked, Velvet (Italy), Wired (Germany), Visi (South Africa), Design (Taiwan), The Daily Mail (UK), BoingBoing, Cool Hunting, Apartment Therapy, Thrillist, etc. Most recently, Joel was awarded “Runner Up” in Garden and Gun Magazine’s Made in the South Awards.

Over the years, Joel has partnered with a wide variety of international and local interests, including Uncrate, Bushmills, Anthropologie, Paramount Pictures, Adrian Grenier's SHFT, Kemble Interiors, and both WWOZ Radio and The Green Project in New Orleans.

Joel was recently awarded a patent for an innovative approach to modular housing design, and he’s currently producing a "science fictional" series of organic, kinetic sculptures, that tap into themes of sustainability and post-apocalyptic survival gadgetry. Joel began work on the latter project in Spring/Summer 2021 as an Artist in Residence at the Joan Mitchell Center.

Joel has lived in New Orleans since 2013.

Describe your art in three words. Organic, Technical, Bold

Describe yourself in one word. Concentrated

What do you love the most about creating art in New Orleans? What particular part of your immediate environment, in your neighborhood specifically influences your work? I love the way that music and art structures so much of the daily life in New Orleans, from buskers and brass bands to sidewalk artists and galleries. I also love that so much of the city centers around hand making things, from food to our wooden and brick architecture.

Describe your creative process. Are there any rituals or rites of passage you exercise before you begin a new piece? I often start with unusual raw materials, and their limitations often determine the shape of final products. Genuinely new projects are usually preceded by a couple of days of procrastination, while I get up the courage to plunge in. Once I get started, everything is generally fine.

Where do you draw inspiration? I'm inspired by unusual natural forms, from unique wood grain to one-of-a-kind natural contours. I also get excited by the contrast between organic forms and high-tech components.

Who are your artistic influences or gurus? Dieter Rams, Frank Lloyd Wright, and David Bowie

In New Orleans, art and music go hand in hand. What type of music, band or song lyric best describes your work? Amii Stewart "Knock on Wood"!

Where can we find you when you are not creating art? Probably on a bicycle.

What is your favorite time of day/day of the week/month of the year? I like the late afternoon, when I often go for a walk/jog in my neighborhood, the LGD.

What is something people don’t know about you? A fun fact. The first record I owned was by The Bay City Rollers!

Works listed online may be available to be viewed at the Where y'Art works gallery by appointment.

For those items that are eligible for shipping, shipping is generally available worldwide. Time until shipping varies, but almost all my products are made to order, so a minimum of 2 weeks usually applies. Most items ship in between 2-5 weeks, but large-scale custom works can take up to 8 weeks to deliver.

For international shipping prices, rush orders or commissions, login in and send me a private message through the messaging tool on my profile page.