Bio

Joseph Fratello III was born on Long Island, NY in 1975. He currently lives and works from his studio in the Hamptons. He graduated from Stony Brook University in 1999 with a Bachelors of Arts degree after studying literature, history and studio art. 

Throughout his formative years, Joseph spent significant time with his family learning  to work across a variety of mediums.  

His father was a sculptor who worked with wood, metal and composite materials. Never satisfied with his own work, he continuously explored new directions throughout his career. His work has been featured in various publications and his sculptures can be seen at public locations throughout New York. 

His Uncle, Liborio, was a painter who won the Emily Lowe Award at 16 years old. He studied art and lived in Italy for nearly a decade before returning to New York. He created over 800 renderings which focused on the relationship between philosophy, geometry, and color.

His Aunt, Claire, graduated from the Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze in Italy. She also returned to New York after living in Italy where she focused her attention on figurative art and art instruction. 

Joseph credits his early exposure to both instruction and criticism as foundational to his development. Immersed in art his entire life, Joseph was dedicated to a career in the fine arts. By his junior year of high school he received permission from school administrators to begin taking art classes at two local colleges in lieu of his high school classes. 

While initially focused on photorealistic and surrealistic drawing and painting, Joseph is currently focused on his mixed media "Universal" artworks. 

In his early twenties, Joseph was studying studio art and reached a turning point in his pursuit of a career as an artist. He explains that, “One day I looked at my art and thought about the years I had spent tormenting myself in the pursuit of perfection.  I realized that continuing down that path would cost me everything else I wanted in life. I thought about all of the awards I received and the art I had created. I realized that none of it had made my life or anyone else's life better. I was a technician not an artist. I broke the frames, rolled up the canvases and put it all in the garbage. I said goodbye to that part of my life. It was one of the best decisions I ever made.” 

Joseph then decided to take a completely different path. He immersed himself in engineering and technology. “I made a decision to live a life without the emotional and financial stress of being an artist. I started and invested in multiple business ventures and they have all led me to where I am now.” 

Fratello had fulfilled his penchant for creativity over the years by fusing artistic design and technology into his businesses. That foundation ultimately led to the development of his "Universal" series , work that exists at the intersection of art, engineering, and perception.