STAY SAFE 2021

Editor: We’re looking at Jason Limon's "Stay Safe," from 2021. It seems to be made with oil and acrylic paint. What strikes me is the kind of decaying glamour of it all - like a roadside attraction that’s seen better days. How do you read this work? Curator: Considering the materials, oil and acrylic, there's an interesting tension between permanence and the visual representation of decay. Think about how Limon layers them. Is he deliberately showing us how consumer objects are constructed, how that cheap veneer cracks to reveal what’s underneath? This peeling is both literal, within the artwork, and suggestive of broader societal facades. Editor: That makes a lot of sense. The "Stay Safe" slogan itself is painted on something that’s falling apart, and it brings to mind ideas around accessibility and class. Do you think the artist has captured this intentionally through his use of particular material, or perhaps his deliberate choice to reveal some raw parts of his art making process, in an aesthetic, stylistic move? Curator: Absolutely. The choice of rendering the skull-shaped sign as a cheaply made, roadside attraction emphasizes accessibility and consumption. The visible 'cracks' are an essential element – a visual reminder of the labor and materials used. Think of how a roadside attraction promises escapism. This piece uses recognizable shapes (the skull and chair) alongside raw aesthetic touches to offer commentary about this, yes, even about life and death as consumable spectacles. It is all cleverly designed to point back to what we often overlook, the socio-economic roots beneath a cheerful promise. Editor: So, looking closely at the work itself reveals a deeper story about our consumption and perhaps the labor that supports it. Curator: Exactly. And how those material choices invite us to reconsider the true cost of things that provide instant gratification.