Jump 1984

Curator: Varnette Honeywood's acrylic on canvas, titled "Jump," completed in 1984, offers such a vibrant depiction of movement. My immediate impression is pure joy—it feels like childhood freedom, rendered in bold color. Editor: The geometry really strikes me. Everything is reduced to shapes, flat planes of color meticulously arranged. It feels almost like an exercise in pure design and yet it communicates the human figure in such a direct way, doesn’t it? I think the labor in creating those flat planes, carefully juxtaposed and layered, highlights an aesthetic born from production that democratizes and flattens fine art approaches to craft. Curator: Absolutely, the technique underscores the themes. Honeywood often depicts Black life and culture, emphasizing community and empowerment. The flatness of the image can also be interpreted as a means to equalize representation; reducing dimensionality in favor of vivid color that makes everyone seem present and on the same visual plane. Editor: These bright colors and simplified forms also suggest a real conversation with Pop Art influences of that time. In a period obsessed with commodification, Honeywood used these flat shapes and bright colors to emphasize that her work focuses not on commodification but rather human figures in a vibrant social life, celebrating community through shared making. It's a powerful choice of visual language. Curator: Considering her engagement in the Black Arts Movement too, that reading makes so much sense. She harnesses accessibility without sacrificing complexity. It invites interaction, but what seems like a simple jump resonates on social and cultural levels too. Editor: Precisely! From a materialist standpoint, we can see this as a deconstruction of artistic hierarchy. By embracing elements of Pop Art while rooting them in communal experiences and figuration, Honeywood elevates not only subject matter, but her engagement with artistic styles elevates collective and underrepresented making to one and the same. It’s quite a statement. I wonder if there are some vector designs influenced by her unique composition! Curator: Thinking about it from a more sentimental lens makes me think that this image captures movement; a freeze-frame of a much wider cultural jump towards increased visibility, both playful and profound.