The Closers 

Curator: Here we have a painting called "The Closers" by Jeff Jamison. It looks to be an oil painting. Editor: My first thought? It’s hazy, like a memory half-forgotten after a really long night. Lots of indistinct figures and shimmering light... are we looking at a bar scene? Curator: Indeed, you’ve hit the nail on the head. It’s a bar scene focused on the figures of the bartenders, all executed in an evocative, figurative style with a clear nod toward abstract expressionism. There's a lot going on within the socio-economics of going out for drinks and late-night socializing and how artists have a social contract to picture these important elements of daily lives. Editor: It's really clever how Jamison's style makes them seem almost ghost-like, like remnants of a boisterous evening. The splashes of white and color become these little fleeting moments, I guess you could say moments of being social at a bar when the evening ends. What kind of feeling did the space give you in return? Curator: Precisely! Bars have been romanticized forever and here in “The Closers” we are witness to its social context and implications. These kinds of environments dictate many things for many different types of humans from the lonely to the jovial. Do you think the technique lends itself to the mood here? Editor: I think so. Those blurry lines between figuration and abstraction perfectly capture the intoxicating blur of closing time. It is pretty incredible what they did by managing this capture... as you were pointing out, "romanticizing." The title has a slightly melancholic ring, and so does the image. All of it really speaks of coming to terms with the moment right when you call it a night. Curator: It definitely pushes one to reflect on shared cultural spaces. Editor: Yeah, this painting is one for contemplating the last call with a strange fondness. It gives some time to recall it vividly as if we are at the bar as observers. Curator: Exactly, it really allows one to feel at ease despite not knowing too much from an informative sense and rather understanding its artistic and socio-cultural perspective.