Udon 2016

James Jean made Udon using paint, probably some kind of acrylic or oil, in the 21st century. The painting has this incredible pastel palette, almost like a dream, and yet there's a very sharp, precise quality to the line work. I keep coming back to the way Jean handles the paint. It's so smooth, almost airbrushed, yet you can still see the hand of the artist in the subtle gradations of color. Look at the way the light hits the figure's skin. It's like he's using the paint to sculpt the form, to give it weight and volume. And then there's that snake-like form coiling around the figure. It's so fluid and organic, like it's alive and breathing. It reminds me a little of some of the psychedelic art from the 60s, like maybe Mati Klarwein. But Jean brings his own unique sensibility to it, this blend of high and low culture, of Eastern and Western influences. It’s really fascinating.