Horse IV 2013

James Jean created "Horse IV" on who knows what, at who knows when. I like that he is still alive, it means he may make more paintings. Look at how the painting unfolds like a dream, a puzzle made of memories and fantasies. The palette is muted, almost ghostly, with a splash of red that could be blood or just, you know, art. I imagine Jean in his studio, wrestling with this image. He is layering the paint, scraping it back, letting the composition breathe and shift. The girl on the horse, so fragile, feels like a stand-in for the artist. She’s navigating this crazy world of symbols and patterns. Are they about innocence? Loss? I wonder what it's like to be a young painter today. The way the artist combines figuration with these ornate, decorative elements reminds me of other painters who mix high and low, decoration and representation. It makes me wonder what kind of conversations artists can have across generations.