Silent 2017

Jason Limon made this artwork titled Silent with paint on what looks like canvas in 2017. The painting looks like a performer and the title, SILENT, could well be a cue to start the show. What kind of show, I wonder? There’s a beautifully painted skeleton figure wearing a party hat, arms outstretched, maybe waiting for applause, or maybe beckoning us to join in? The palette is muted but rich and the paint handling is smooth and precise, not a ton of impasto here. The lettering is beautiful, each letter carefully rendered. There’s a decorative feel here - a kind of celebration of paint. It is interesting how he combines seemingly opposite concepts such as life/death, silence/performance, sadness/joy. Painters like Limon show us how images keep evolving, always in dialogue with one another.