Knitting 2022

Editor: So this is James Jean’s “Knitting” from 2022, rendered in acrylics. I'm immediately drawn to the blend of surrealism and modernism, and that incredibly intricate detail makes me want to inspect the artwork much more closely. What aspects of this piece do you find most significant from a historical perspective? Curator: It’s fascinating how Jean layers figuration with such surreal imagery, and even more so considering the title. Knitting, typically viewed as domestic and perhaps even docile labor, is put into hyperfocus and embellished with fantastical elements. The socio-political implications are in the reframing of this craft, don't you think? Editor: Definitely. It elevates a traditional craft to something otherworldly, and also transforms how knitting as practice or artifact is publicly received. But where does that elevation come from? Is that only visible because of the way it’s visually presented to us through surreal imagery? Curator: Exactly! Look at how the figure almost disappears, absorbed into the knitting itself and dwarfed by these bizarre, decorative creatures, maybe birds, that echo traditional Asian art, where craftsmanship and beauty aren't seen as separate but woven together within the public view. What about the material suggests a modern feel? Editor: The fluid paint strokes and almost chaotic composition definitely push it into modernism for me, steering it away from classical ideals, even though the subject matter is timeless. This painting definitely gives a contemporary perspective on societal and cultural meaning. Curator: Indeed. I’m impressed by the way Jean's background challenges the status quo in terms of both medium and visual expectations. It all serves as a complex dialogue around identity, craft and, ultimately, what we choose to value in our public spaces and visual vocabularies.