"Stranger in Paradox, a

long-running series of images that takes the logic of our times and extends them to its absurd extremes" - Joel Tretin

Joel Tretin’s work lies within the tradition of John Heartfield (1891-1968), Raoul Hausmann

(1886 - 1971) and Hannah Hock (1889 -1978) all members of the Dada movement and all masters of the photomontage. All the imagery he utilizes is a compilation of his own photographs. History does nothing but repeat itself. In the beginning of the 21st century, we witness the suppression of human rights in the best interest of the State (again), the rise of Autocracy around the world (again), and the accumulation of wealth by the few (the feudal system). Historically, artists have used their work as political weapons to push back against unjust systems and expose hypocrisy. Joel Tretin is no different. Photoshop has replaced cutting, pasting, and gluing paper. A man of his times, where the world’s information lies at one’s fingertips, Joel uses humor and irony as his weapons of choice.