Lavis Bones 2017

Jason Limon painted 'Lavis Bones', and it's a trip! The colors are like old lace, all warm browns and faded oranges. The skull is so intricately decorated, it's like he's not just making a painting but building an entire world, bit by bit. Look at the way Limon handles texture; the skull isn’t just smooth. There's a sense of age and maybe even decay with the way he’s layered the paint. I’m drawn to the swirls on the top of the skull, they look a bit like brains peeking out, or maybe just the patterns on grandma’s wallpaper. The flatness of the skull is so immediate, so present. It puts me in mind of Kiki Smith, who also is not afraid to combine beauty and the grotesque. Limon's embrace of uncertainty and playful chaos makes it feel like anything is possible, maybe even a conversation with a walking skeleton.