Helen's Room 2017

Jonas Wood made 'Helen's Room' as a big painting, and it feels like a puzzle of flattened shapes and patterns. It's not about tricking you into thinking you're seeing reality, but rather about seeing how colors and lines can build a space. There’s something so intimate about how Wood renders the everyday. The way the blue stripes of the bedspread meet the edge of the painting feels abrupt, cut off, and this makes you think about the edge of the canvas. The cat, tucked in a dark blanket, adds a touch of warmth and life to the scene. Look at that little face! The painting is all about surfaces. You don’t get the feeling of depth, but it invites you to think about the flatness. It makes me think about Matisse, his interiors, the way he uses patterns and colors to create a mood, a feeling. And it makes you wonder what kind of a person Helen is. Art like this is an invitation to dream and play.