Jitterbugs (III) 1941

William H. Johnson made this painting, Jitterbugs (III), in an unknown year, probably with oil on canvas. The shapes are quite blocky, like cut paper, and the colours are a bit like Matisse, so it must have been a fun painting to make. I wonder if he’d been out dancing the night before he made this? You can see how the painting has emerged from trial and error. The painting shows 3 dancers and a musician, all tangled up in a moment of pure joy and musicality. I really like the way that Johnson has used thick paint to create texture and depth. The brushstrokes are visible, and the colors are vibrant. Just look at that musician playing, it almost looks like he's got a halo or something. This painting is a reminder of how artists are always in conversation with each other and with the world around them. Painting can be embodied expression, embracing ambiguity and uncertainty, allowing for multiple interpretations and meaning over fixed readings.