Dark & Gloomy 2017

Curator: Jason Limon's "Dark & Gloomy," created in 2017, presents us with a rather peculiar figure rendered in mixed media, acrylic paint in particular, a captivating piece that flirts with portraiture and fantasy-art. What is your initial reaction to it? Editor: Oh, my, this has to be one of the sweetest depictions of gloom I’ve ever seen! Those big, sad eyes! I want to give this little guy a hug—despite, you know, the miniature skeletons. It’s strangely uplifting, isn't it? Curator: Indeed. The juxtaposition is striking. Limon employs elements of pop-surrealism to soften the macabre, prompting us to question traditional notions of darkness and melancholy. What strikes me most is how Limon situates themes of identity, especially concerning how these seemingly disparate elements converge to represent complex emotional states. Editor: Absolutely! And it makes me wonder, does the title refer to the character's mood, or the mood they're *causing*? Is it a commentary on being an outsider, hiding under layers of decoration? Because those layers, that opulent gown—it's both protective and isolating. The text inscribed evokes something that might cause despair: “Dark and Gloomy” – very pointed. Curator: It invites us to consider the ways in which identity is constructed and performed. The decorative elements are interesting in terms of material culture too: costume has the possibility to signal, communicate, perhaps even conceal different identity aspects and traits. Do you agree with that proposition? Editor: Precisely. Think of drag, cosplay. What this is saying is relevant today. Those cute, creepy skeletons flanking it – what role do they play? Are they there as morbid heralds to signify despair? Curator: Perhaps the skeletons serve as a commentary on mortality or inevitability of gloom but equally on fragility, not to be feared but understood as intrinsic elements of being human. Editor: I see it now. A touch of sweetness tempers the gloom and suddenly, you know? You kind of accept its truthfulness. Curator: I think that’s the magic of Limon's work. It acknowledges the pervasiveness of gloom yet reframes it as something familiar and even endearing, if you agree. It prompts conversations about acknowledging difficult feelings. Editor: And celebrating the beautifully strange in all of us. Gloom has never looked so fashionable.