Chrome 2021

James Jean’s painting, Chrome, seems to have emerged from some other world of dreams using pale blues and turquoises. I imagine the act of painting as a journey—a back-and-forth between intention and accident. The artist begins with an idea, a sketch, but then the paint takes over, leading them down unexpected paths, opening up new possibilities. There's this constant negotiation between control and surrender, between the artist's will and the paint's own agency. And sometimes the best paintings come from those moments where you let go, where you allow the paint to do its thing, to surprise you. I’m struck by how he mixes up the thin washes with tighter graphic moments—all those swirling calligraphic marks. There are all these images rising up out of the depths. It makes me think of other image-makers, like Durer and Hokusai, but also contemporary artists, like Ellen Gallagher, who create intricate, layered surfaces with hidden depths. All art is a conversation across time, and that’s what I love about it. Each artwork builds upon what came before, while also pushing in new directions.