Messengers 2021

James Jean's 'Messengers' is a riddle wrapped in candy colors, a dream dreamt in broad daylight. Look how the colors swarm together, like a psychedelic garden in full bloom. It's a testament to the magic that happens when you let go and let the process guide you. This piece feels like a dance between control and chaos. There are delicate lines and then swathes of color that seem to bleed into each other, creating this push and pull that keeps your eye moving. Notice how the texture gives the piece a life of its own, an almost velvety surface. It invites you to touch it, to feel the story it's telling. That blue squiggle near the bottom left feels almost like a question mark, hinting at the ambiguity that's at the heart of this work. Jean's work reminds me of a conversation between Art Nouveau and contemporary illustration. Like the work of Alphonse Mucha, this piece invites us to embrace the beauty of the in-between, the blurry edges where meaning is born.