Sadhu 2015

James Jean made this monochrome drawing, Sadhu, with pen and ink, and it's a whole world unto itself. I find the blue so calming. It feels like floating, or maybe sinking into deep water. Look at the way Jean’s put down all these lines and dots to create texture. The Sadhu's beard is a flurry of these little marks, so energetic, and all these little lines makes you aware of the way that drawings emerge, like a slow, meditative dance. There's no attempt to hide the hand. It’s not about effortless illusionism but about the time and care that went into it. And the details, right? On the right arm, those decorative charms, or on the head a pair of feet resting, but they could just as easily be something else. It reminds me of M.C. Escher's impossible spaces, or maybe the dreamscapes of Max Ernst. Art isn't about answers, but how we look at it.