Aloha ‘Oe 2017

Curator: James Jean’s "Aloha ‘Oe," painted in 2017 using acrylics, immediately strikes me as dreamlike. There’s such an intricate intertwining of a central female figure with natural elements. It gives me a sense of serene chaos. Editor: I find it interesting how Jean’s background in comic book art influences his painting technique. The bold outlines, the saturated colors… They almost feel mass-produced, despite being meticulously hand-painted. The production of these large, narrative works relies on traditional craft skill while embracing industrial aesthetics. Curator: The figure, seemingly emerging from the water, carries an aura reminiscent of sea deities. And look at the flowers woven in—lotuses perhaps? They enhance the connection to purity and spiritual awakening. This iconography feels very deliberate. Editor: And deliberate it is! The "psychedelic" color palette plays an important role when speaking about "figuration." It’s about subverting the expected association of the colors of sea and flowers with ideas around calm, but also pointing out their artificial origins—questioning whether our perceptions of nature itself are manufactured. The "realism" meets the "surrealism" in terms of a production cycle. Curator: The layering here feels significant. There's an almost hallucinatory stacking of imagery, suggesting layers of cultural memory being evoked simultaneously. Even the title, "Aloha ‘Oe", whispers a feeling of farewell, adding to the melancholic atmosphere. Editor: Perhaps this melancholy stems from the means of production. How is this imagery distributed and consumed, reproduced infinitely? This speaks directly to value production. Curator: That's a valid point, and certainly raises compelling questions about consumerism. I still feel drawn to deciphering the symbolism Jean’s employing here, teasing out how these visual motifs resonate with viewers on a subconscious level. Editor: While you plumb those psychological depths, I’m captivated by the way Jean synthesizes supposedly 'high' and 'low' techniques. The tension of labor—from comic books to canvas— fascinates me endlessly in the construction of meaning here. Curator: Indeed, James Jean prompts rich debate. The collision between symbolic weight and artistic production provides much to consider. Editor: Yes, it is fascinating how that dynamic reveals both about ourselves, and about the broader systems of artistic creation and value.