Cramped 2022

Jason Limon painted this peculiar scene, ‘Cramped’, sometime in the 20th century. Look at the texture he’s created, and the slightly muted but colourful palette. You can imagine Limon coaxing this skeleton out of the darkness, layer upon layer, adding those little flecks of colour on the backdrop as a final flourish. I really feel for this skeleton in a box. I imagine Limon thinking about feelings of confinement and restriction. The surface looks built up, almost crusty in places, with thin translucent glazes elsewhere. Notice how the title, ‘Cramped,’ is emblazoned on the box, almost like a label. It reminds me of the outsider artist Henry Darger who created a whole world through painting and writing. But it also connects with a larger sensibility in painting, about life, death, and the human condition. Artists are always in dialogue with each other, riffing on themes and ideas, and pushing the boundaries of what painting can be. I think Jason Limon has really captured something honest and true with this work.