Kindling III 2020

James Jean made *Kindling III,* and whatever the date, it feels contemporary in its fluid style. Look at the color choices here, they're so interesting, right? Kind of muted, but then these pops of bright orange that just grab your attention. I’m struck by the surface, how smooth it is. The paint application seems almost airbrushed, concealing the artist's hand. Yet, there's something undeniably tactile about the image. All those logs with faces. The orange birds. It's as if the artist is inviting us to consider the ways in which we project our own emotions onto the world around us. I keep thinking about those bundles of wood, each one decorated with a quirky, individual face. They remind me of the work of Philip Guston, who, later in his career, adopted a similarly cartoonish style to explore complex psychological themes. Both artists seem to be saying that art doesn't always have to be serious, and sometimes the most profound truths are revealed through humor and play.