Monograph: Joe Monteleone

‘Art allows my mind to be free and discover things beyond what my eyes can see.’ – Joe Monteleone

Artist Joe Monteleone was born deaf and over time, he has also experienced progressive vision loss. As it turns out, Monteleone was born with Usher syndrome type one, a genetic disorder affecting hearing, vision and balance, but wasn’t diagnosed until he was in his 30s.

Since then, the Deafblind artist’s vision has deteriorated further, narrowing into tunnel vision during the day and full vision loss at night. Rather than being limited by this, Monteleone says the way he sees the world enables him to concentrate on the details rather than being ‘caught up in the big picture’.

While this perspective of his vision has helped his art practice flourish, Monteleone had to retire early from a successful public service career due to his progressive vision loss.

In 2015, Monteleone turned his attention to art and studied at Melbourne Polytechnic and Centre for Adult Education, where he initially took up painting. Although he didn’t pursue painting as a medium, it introduced him to other avenues of art making, including printmaking.

Monteleone spends hours carving his linoleum blocks in preparation for printing, taking his time to focus on a small section at a time. He says this enables him to stay true to his reference images.

‘When I make art, my vision is not confined in any way,’ he says. Flinders St Station, 2022 (printed by Adrian Spurr) – acquired by the Library in 2023 – is a perfect example of Monteleone’s detailed and meticulous work. Measuring 1.8 metres high by 2.4 metres wide, it comprises 12 panels, each 69x69cm or smaller.

‘All together the 12 tiles can be viewed as a whole image, akin to how sighted people see the world. In looking closer at each tile individually, the audience gains insight into the Deafblind perspective with tunnel vision, seeing the world in smaller frames,’ he says in his artist statement.

State Library Victoria acquired Flinders St Station (H2024.26/1-12) in 2023, along with the linocut printing blocks used to create the artwork.

About the series

Monograph is a series of creative short-format documentary films that convey the humanity and passion surrounding the Library and its diverse activities. The series title refers to the singular focus of each film – a brief but deep dive into a person’s life, their work and their connection to the Library.

Credits

A film by Creative Studio, State Library Victoria 
Featuring: Joe Monteleone
Interpreters: Sam Thomas, Raelene Campbell and Mark Quinn
Cinematographer: Christopher Miles
Collection Curation and Engagement Manager: Toni Burton
Senior Collection Curator, Victorian and Australian Collections: Bridie Flynn
Collection Curator, Victorian and Australian Collections: Ellen Spalding
Preservation Manager: Kate Holloway
Senior Processing Technician: Stephen Morrissey
Preservation Technician: Ross Lowe
Chief Digital Officer: Paula Bray 
Head of Creative Studio: Mike Daly 
Digital Content Lead: Yeoseop Yoon