Bisected 2022

Jason Limon made this painting, Bisected, in the 20th century with…well, I wish I knew what materials. Whatever they are, they have a smooth matte finish, kinda chalky. I see a sort of skull thing split open, oozing colorful ribbons and pipes. The ribcage is also made of pipes! This skeleton has a very active and colourful inner life. There’s an odd combination of morbidity and playfulness, which reminds me of Philip Guston, but with a smoother finish, a less troubled surface. It seems Limon wants to have his painting both ways: he wants to play with cartoonish forms but not give up a certain anatomical precision. It’s like he’s saying, "Okay, death is a serious subject, but why not have some fun with it?" And in the process, he’s also asking us to rethink how we see, how we experience, and ultimately, how we relate to our own mortality. We’re all bisected in some way, right? Cut in half by our minds? Or by life? So many ways to be split open.