Chelone 2018

James Jean made Chelone and I want to swim in it. The way Jean moves between super-fine detail and luscious washes reminds me of being underwater, where everything is close up and far away all at once. Look at the waves around the figure, each line so precise and deliberate, and then see how the colors soften and melt as they reach her skin. It’s as if the waves are both real and dreamlike, solid and ephemeral. Notice the mark-making on the shell or rock behind her, how the lines build up in layers, creating depth and texture. This area has a really nice combination of control and freedom, a balance that gives the whole piece its energy. Jean makes me think of Aubrey Beardsley, another artist who knew how to make the line sing and move, but Jean’s colors bring it all into the present. Art is just one big conversation, isn’t it?