Outlines 2022

Jason Limon made this painting, Outlines, fairly recently. I love the way he builds up the form layer by layer, like constructing a fantastical cake. There’s a beautiful tension in the painting between the clean lines of the stacked forms, each edged with a crisp outline, and the kind of spooky subject matter – skeletons! And stars – this tension makes the piece really sing. Look at how the layers form a sort of cocoon around the skeletons. Each layer has its own color and texture, like it has aged differently and they all have these stars pinned to them. I find myself asking what each layer represents and how the forms shape my understanding. Limon’s work reminds me a little of René Magritte – that same interest in the bizarre juxtaposition. But Limon brings a contemporary, almost graphic sensibility to it, which is fascinating. Art is always an ongoing conversation. Right?