Skipper 2020

Editor: This is "Skipper" from 2020, an acrylic piece by James Jean. There's a real dreamlike quality to it – this bald figure almost seems suspended in mid-air, surrounded by these fantastical creatures and plant life. I'm intrigued by the contrasts; innocent tenderness mixed with a kind of looming unknown. What do you make of this work? Curator: It's funny you say dreamlike; I think Jean excels at tapping into that subconscious space, doesn't he? He's creating a contemporary mythology of sorts. It's the fairytale you think you remember as a child. Look how he contrasts the clean lines of the figure against the swirling, almost chaotic energy of the plants and creatures. There's this vulnerability present with those hands raised to cover its eyes but is he afraid or is this protection and meditation? How does this juxtaposition affect your initial impression? Editor: I think it makes me wonder what the figure is seeking refuge *from*. Maybe it is more about introspection and the peace one finds turning inward. It really plays with that tension between childhood innocence and a darker, more complex world just outside of frame. It is lovely. Curator: Exactly! Jean is fantastic at layering these symbolic narratives; I find the longer I look, the more the painting starts to ask questions back to *me*. What does it all signify? And how can I relate to that visually on canvas? Editor: That’s a great way of putting it – the painting asks questions back. I was so caught up in the surface appeal of the colours and the smooth lines. Now it’s clear that it's about something far deeper. Curator: Precisely. Next time you approach a James Jean, I would challenge yourself to push through the initial aesthetic pull and find what's lying beneath. This is the journey art provides!