Family of Three 2020

Editor: This is Jammie Holmes’s “Family of Three” from 2020, a mixed-media piece featuring acrylic paint. There's something very raw about it, almost childlike in its execution, yet the subject matter hints at something more complex. How do you interpret this work? Curator: Raw, childlike, yes, but I wouldn’t underestimate its sophistication. Look at how Holmes uses line, almost scribbled, to define form. The flattened perspective, the almost brutal honesty... it reminds me of early Basquiat, but with a distinctly contemporary narrative. Notice the listing: "2 bed, 2 bath, TV, AC..." almost like a property description overlaid on an intimate scene. Do you get a sense of place from that? Editor: Definitely, it feels confined. Like the “family of three” is trapped within those material confines, represented by the outdated television set maybe? Curator: Precisely! The TV perched precariously suggests obsolescence, a commentary on the American Dream perhaps? Or the ever-present allure of technology. What does "Family of Three" signify to you given these assembled household objects, rather than figuration? Editor: That’s interesting...it feels like the objects become stand-ins for people. A loaded statement about identity and belonging in our consumerist society? Curator: Maybe, yes! A possible dialogue between representation and reality and a reflection of the human condition. Food for thought! Editor: I see the piece differently now, the vulnerability and criticism inherent within it. Curator: Absolutely! It's a painting that lingers, a reflection on modern existence filtered through the eyes of someone wrestling with its complexities, in line with so many artists of our generation.