Papergirl 2020

Jason Limon’s ‘Papergirl’ is a darkly humorous painting that plays with the themes of identity and mortality. Imagine Limon at his easel, layering thin glazes of paint, building up the delicate skin tones of the girl's face, juxtaposed against the stark bone of the skull beneath. I can feel him grappling with the contrast, balancing the cute with the macabre, in a way that reminds me of Frida Kahlo. There’s something incredibly tender about the way the tiny skeleton delicately peels back the paper mask, revealing what lies beneath. Is it about the masks we wear, the faces we present to the world? Or is it a more profound meditation on the inevitable? Limon’s work, like all great painting, invites us to contemplate our own existence, to find beauty in the unexpected, and humor in the face of the unknown. It’s this conversation between artists that keeps the flame of creativity burning bright, each adding their own unique perspective to the ever-evolving story of painting.