Dance 2018

James Jean made this painting, Dance, with what looks like acrylic paint and maybe some markers, and it's bursting with life. It's a party of colours and shapes. Look how the flat planes of bright colour are outlined with these clean dark lines – it’s like stained glass, but on canvas. The surface is smooth, almost like it was printed. This gives it a graphic, contemporary feel, even though the scene is kind of dreamy, with these figures dancing amidst surreal flowers and butterflies. I'm drawn to these little yellow dashes scattered throughout. They are like confetti that bring a sense of movement to the picture. It’s almost as if Jean is winking at us, reminding us that art is, above all, a joyful play with colour and form. He reminds me a little of Yoshitomo Nara and his playful, yet slightly sinister figures, but with a dash of art nouveau thrown in. What a wonderful conversation they could have.