Piggyback 2015

James Jean made this monochromatic blue artwork called Piggyback using an unknown medium. He probably worked into the night creating this imaginative composition, where figures morph into one another with seamless precision. Look closely, and you’ll see the way James Jean's lines build the image. He starts with light washes and adds layer upon layer to create depth and form. The drawing is incredibly detailed. The lines have an almost etched quality, giving the whole piece an ethereal, dreamlike quality. I can imagine him working intently, his hand moving with fluid grace to construct the characters. The figures are reminiscent of Eastern mythology and traditional folklore. I'm reminded of artists like Yoshitoshi, who also blended the real with the fantastical. Ultimately the image encourages me to see the world with fresh eyes, finding magic in the mundane. Artists throughout time have been in conversation with one another, so much so that they build upon each other’s visions.