Sassy Sally 

Curator: Jeff Jamison's "Sassy Sally," seemingly rendered in oil paint, strikes me immediately with its rather subdued and thoughtful palette, even amidst what appears to be a bustling city scene. Editor: "Subdued" is one word for it; "brooding" comes to my mind! Look at how the solitary figure, presumably Sally, with that striking red umbrella, is positioned within this almost aggressively modern, urban tableau. She's both central and utterly alone. I wonder what she is up to. Curator: Well, let’s consider the context. Figurative and portrait styles are evident. Cityscapes as themes, intersecting with the contemporary, raise interesting questions about individual identity in a rapidly urbanizing world. Editor: Exactly! There's this palpable tension, isn't there? I mean, I almost feel the rain reflecting light upwards as some sort of inverted spotlight onto her. A "sassy" spotlight perhaps. Curator: Her expression and body language are fascinatingly ambiguous. Is it confidence? Defiance? Maybe something as simple as determination to stay dry. The "sassy" title is doing a lot of work for me in shaping interpretations around power, resistance, perhaps gendered experiences in public spaces. Editor: Right? Is "Sassy Sally" a feminist statement about women taking up space? Or is it playing with those concepts to find somewhere new? Like is this truly her rebellion, or just another way in which urban structures force a performative identity? The artist offers, like, zero easy answers, I am finding! Curator: The "modernism" tag suggests an inquiry into subjectivity, alienation perhaps within modern society, themes that are still painfully resonant. Jamison seems to use that solitary figure to embody, question or perhaps critique our own fractured sense of self within the modern cityscape. Editor: Totally. I’m left not so much admiring the painting, or beauty as conventionally perceived, but more deeply wondering. "Sassy Sally," what is her story? Jeff Jamison what do YOU want to say with her. And with us I guess by proxy? A powerful and thought-provoking work! Curator: Absolutely, and ultimately a mirror reflecting our complex relationships with each other. Thank you for those illuminating insights!