Composition 2010

Editor: We're looking at "Composition," a 2010 acrylic painting by JonOne. It's a wild explosion of color, with thick black lines that remind me of chaotic, scribbled-over graffiti. It has such intense energy; what do you see in this piece? Curator: I see echoes of cultural memory vibrating within those layers. The scribbled lines, the dripping paint—they aren't just chaotic, they are charged. They speak to the energy of urban spaces, recalling the ephemeral nature of street art itself. What symbols resonate with you? Editor: The drips feel like…a city in constant flux, being washed away and rebuilt. Is that a common theme in JonOne’s work? Curator: Drips can be read in multiple ways – consider them tears, joy, and even release of tension. Think about the ritualistic element inherent in street art: the act of covering, layering, and revealing. There’s a palimpsestuous quality, don’t you think? Editor: A what now? Curator: Palimpsestuous—like an ancient manuscript where layers of writing have been scraped off and rewritten. But faint traces of the earlier text remain, influencing the current one. Does the overlaying impact you? Editor: Okay, I get it now. So it is less about random scribbles, more about the stories left underneath that make up what’s on the surface. Curator: Exactly. The layers symbolize time, experience, cultural shifts. JonOne captures a continuous story within a single frame, a story we are all part of. It reminds us that the present always carries the echoes of the past, and that’s also true for graffiti! Editor: Wow, I didn’t think there was so much depth to it! Curator: Visuals always possess the potential to connect with emotions and memories – they possess symbolic layers. The more you consider them, the greater their potency.